Something In Common
by Unseen Watcher
Summary: Across time and generations, D finds someone who is similar to him in more than just bloodthirst. Alucard is awake. VHD/Castlevania
1. Chapter 1

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Vampire Hunter D and Castlvania belong to their respective owners and claimers. I'm borrowing the characters to indulge my own skewed view of reality. In no way is this story meant to be yaoi, so please put the idea out of your mind from the start, it'll save time and brainsweat later.  
  
Chapter 1 -----------------  
  
D dodged the dagger thrown at him by his young opponent. Young for a vampire, anyway. This one had decided that he didn't like being in the iron control of his house and had fled their grip to set up shop in this old mountain country. He had then started terrorizing the small community that clung to a mountainside nearby. That's where D came in.  
  
**  
  
D had skirted around this region many times in his endless travels, but had never ventured further than its borders. There were few human settlements here and the vampire hunter knew that his prey would go where the food sources were. Added to this logic was reluctance, a feeling like some distant nightmare or memory that eluded him. All he did know was that he wasn't comfortable in the region, so he avoided it. Only a very good reason, such as a rogue vampire, could get him to even consider setting foot in the place.  
  
He got it. He was passing by when his senses picked up the sound and smell of a demon hoard. The creatures were foul enough on their own but when they got together, he could feel them miles before he came in sight of them. Their evil auras scratched across his magic-attuned nerves like their dirty nails would his flesh if any lived long enough to get that close to him. He would have avoided contact with the foul things, but paused as he sensed that they were already hunting something. He sniffed the air and his eyes narrowed. Human. They were hunting man.  
  
D altered course, urging his DL4 Cyborg horse toward the commotion. He arrived on the scene at full gallop, his long sword already drawn. The demons fell quickly to the powerful strokes of his magical weapon. He didn't even bother to dismount until he turned to the packs' would be victim.  
  
The man, half dead from exhaustion and blood loss, had gasped out his story as he collapsed in a relieved heap at D's feet. He had been one of five messengers sent by his village to hire a hunter to kill the vampire that had suddenly appeared to plague them. He was the only one to make it as far as he had. The Noble was smart enough to know not to let word get out about his presence. He would have succeeded if it weren't for D's half- blood senses.  
  
He was Dhampir, the result of a union between a vampire Noble and a human mother, and he hunted his father's kind with a fervor that few could match. His dedication, combined with the powers granted by his dual heritage, made him the perfect hunter of his father's kind. The few other hunters that even knew of his existence acknowledged openly that he was the best. If he got on a vampire's trail, the bloodsucker was history.  
  
So when D hauled the villager back to his home across his saddle bow, following the man's half-coherent directions, he listened politely to the inhabitants offers of reward and simply asked the way to the vampire's lair.  
  
It had taken less than a day to locate the tumble down fortress. The building had seemed to draw him to it with the aura of ancient power it radiated. D had easily located its current inhabitant, predictably in the middle of the structure. At first glance, he knew that the edifice was far older than its self-proclaimed master.  
  
D had quickly learned much about his young opponent. His experienced perception noted the awkward fighting style, the open expression on his face that he had not yet learned to hide, and the fact that the young pup boasted out his entire life story in the first five minutes of their encounter. The Noble had left his house's control, but he had also lost its protection as well.  
  
**  
  
Dodging another barrage of miscellaneous objects, D had to wonder if his family missed the idiot that much.  
  
*  
  
Not to say that D wasn't taking his opponent seriously. He took everything seriously. Some of the projectiles, like the Cursed Shuriken that the vampire had produced from somewhere, were dangerous enough that he took care to avoid them. The grenades had nearly taken out one of the walls when they had been tossed rather wildly in D's general direction. This one had not yet learned the level of control that experience and time would have given him to fully utilize his powers. D's instincts, honed to a nearly tangible edge after countless centuries of constant fighting, moved his body in avoiding these strikes almost before the vampire could begin them.  
  
*  
  
D had assessed his opponent's strengths, and apparently multiple weaknesses, early on in the fight. What little power the young (he could not have been over 50) Noble had had been quickly used up at the start of the fight. The idiot should have realized from the beginning that his feeble magic was useless against D, and conserved his strength. Vampire magic was mostly concerned with the strength of its wielder's will. D had forged his own over the millennia into a substance hard enough to chip diamond on it. His opponent could have broken his on sandstone.  
  
The young vampire threw more objects, boasting about his prowess and how he would make the hunter beg before he died. D had begun to wonder privately if his House had actually thrown the moron out so that he wouldn't weaken their bloodline with his stupidity.  
  
The vampire, Vladimir he called himself of all names, stubbornly refused to realize how hopelessly outclassed he was in this situation. He kept trying to freeze D with the hypnotic power of his eyes, the oldest trick in the book if such a book existed (it would be made out of stripes of animal hide if it did). D merely shrugged these attempts off like raindrops from his cloak. He resolved to himself that if he attempted any line like 'look into my eyes' he would brain the twit. Realizing his train of thought, he mentally resolved to stop listening to the symbiote's babble. He was starting to think like It.  
  
The corner of D's eyes tightened, the only outer sign of his annoyance. His mind was wandering in the middle of a fight, something that had not happened in a very long time. He also felt an emotion that he also hadn't seen in a while; bored disdain. This whole ridiculous fight seemed to have evolved into a personal insult to his years and experience. He had fought opponents that this young upstart would gladly grovel at the foot of.  
  
Tiring of the game, D closed in on the now frantic vampire, his long blade running through the other's heart with ease. D made sure he was permanently dead before bringing his focus away from him. The hunter paused, waiting, but as he had suspected, the structure did not disintegrate with the vampire's death. He had not been its true master.  
  
*  
  
{{ Well, that was fun. }} A voice said sarcastically. {{ You've had more challenge in watching grass grow. Although, knowing you, that might actually be considered quality entertainment. }}  
  
"We should hope that all opponents were so easy." D answered, though he silently agreed with the symbiote's assessment, ignoring the barb. The being in his left hand continued to grumble. {{ Why did we come to this backwater anyway? The people are rude, the lodgings are ruder, and the entertainment is just plain pathetic. }}  
  
D didn't comment. The villagers had tried to be hospitable, but they had a right to be wary of outsiders, considering what the last one had turned out to be. Isolated communities tended to be very clannish, though since the war that devastated civilization 10,000 years ago everyone seemed to be isolated. The village had been dirty and rather crude, but nothing short of a palace would satisfy the symbiote anyway.  
  
*  
  
His senses were once again assaulted by the strong aura of age and power that seemed to hang over the place. Standing now, near the center of the structure, with his attention not focused on battle, he allowed himself to soak in the sensation he was experiencing. The newly dead vampire had not been the master, so who was? The design did not suggest the work of human hands. This place was so old only magic could be keeping it together. And magic needed a focus.  
  
D walked around the room, straining to find. . .something. The feel of the place was almost familiar. A bit like home. However, he had never been here before. Many vampire lairs had held small similarities to the castle of his father, though none had really come close. This half-decayed ruin felt hauntingly like his the place of his youth. It pulled at old memories and emotions, both pleasant and less so.  
  
Shaking his head to clear it of disturbing, half-remembered images he started to make his way out of the room. The sooner he was gone from this place, the better. It rattled his carefully built control.  
  
D strode past one particular wall and stopped in his tracks as if pulled by an unseen cord. Turning gracefully on the balls of his feet, he examined the unremarkable stonework before him. A wildly tossed explosive had scorched part of it, the weakening of the ancient plaster discernable to his sharp ears as it cracked against itself. Absently, he raised his right hand to rap the wall.  
  
The effect of the idle action brought his full attention on it, his eyes narrowing slightly in sudden suspicion. A human would have missed it, but the senses that were the gift and curse of his vampire blood caught the faint echo. To confirm what his ears had already told him, he moved further along the wall, knocking carefully with one ear close to the stone. When he came to the same spot, he again heard the sound that told of a difference from the walls surrounding it, this time with a slight shower of crumbled plaster to accompany it.  
  
{{What in the stars are you doing?}} The Entity's voice wondered, the tone leaving little doubt that It thought that It's host had been hit on the head one time too many. Ignoring It, D reached a decision. Curling his hand into a fist, he drove it against the wall. After a few more punches delivered with the inhuman strength of his large frame, the weakened section fell with a roar, D leaping out of the way of falling stone.  
  
{{Well, I'll be.}} The Entity trailed trailed off as the dust settled, revealing a set of stairs leading away in the darkness beyond the shattered wall. Stepping over the rubble, D glided quietly to the foot of the stairs, his dark blue eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.  
  
The feeling grew stronger as he moved forward. His eyes made out the faint outline of a door at the head of the stair.  
  
*  
  
D was not by nature curious. Curiosity in his line of work could get you dead fast. Some Nobles loved to booby trap their lairs, especially the so- called traditionalists that believed a castle wasn't complete without one or two nasty surprises around every corner. The Entity called them the Mediocre Morons, a name It tagged them with when D had found one trapped in several of his own snares at once. The Entity had laughed so hard It had nearly choked.  
  
*  
  
Drawing his attention back to the present, D cautiously tested each step before putting his full weight on it. The motions were so smooth and deft that it would appear to an observer, had there been any, that he was oblivious to any possible danger.  
  
Reaching the top, he hesitated at the heavy ironbound door. Reaching out with his left hand, he slowly turned the ornate handle. It wasn't locked, a fact that only increased the hunter's wariness.  
  
Slowly the door swung open to reveal a room bare of any ornament save for a coffin that rested in the middle of the floor, wrapped in chains. One look at the floor revealed that every tile was carved with an ornate, magical rune. Most of them still pulsed with malevolent power, but a scattered few seemed to have dimmed with the countless millennia that must have passed since someone had set foot in this room. The fact that not even a spider's web hung from the ceiling practically screamed that the room was deadly.  
  
{{Oh, joy.}} The Entity said, a slight note of apprehension creeping into Its' voice at sight of the obvious death trap. {{Well, this has been fun, but I suppose it's time to hit the road again. Duty calls and all that.}} It said, hope in its voice. D actually smiled slightly at that. Lefthand was the one usually encouraging him not to be so focused on his quest and to live a little. That enthusiasm seemed to stop just short of risking life (and especially limb) against deadly magic.  
  
D would normally have agreed. He was no treasure hunter. The stuff would only weigh him down.  
  
But something seemed to call him from that coffin. Some instinct told him that he couldn't just walk away from this mystery. He needed to see it through; having decided that, the hunter started looking for a means to accomplish his goal. His attention turned to the coffin. Whatever was in there was obviously not meant to ever get out. He could practically touch the magic weaving a tight barrier around the box.  
  
D stretched his senses. He was right. Very little magic centered on keeping things out. It would be relatively easy to get to the coffin. Leaving afterwards was the problem.  
  
D stood in silent thought for a few moments, then turned and made his way back down the stairs. The Entity's sigh of relief echoes in the passage.  
  
{{Ah, well. A little puzzle that I must say I'm pleased to leave behind. Life's full of enough of them as it is without going looking for them . what are you doing?}} This last rather bewildered question was directed at D, who was currently walking around the castle in a half-crouch, his eyes peering intently into shadowed corners and crevices. Before the mystified Entity could question him further D cocked his head, as if listening for something. Quickly he dove for one particular shadow, his right hand closing on something that squeaked in protest.  
  
D stood, holding a fair-sized rat by the back of its scrawny neck. The rodent struggled and fought, but couldn't get its sharp teeth close to its captor. Ignoring the thrashing, D turned and quickly made his way back to the room. Stopping just outside the doorway, he casually tossed the rat into the chamber with a flick of his wrist. It tumbled across the floor, with no response from the wards, until it had almost reached the center where the coffin rested. Righting itself, it quickly scurried for the walls.  
  
There was a bright flash, a smell of cooked meat and fur, and the ugly thing was gone as if it had never existed.  
  
{{Okay, I get it.}} Said Lefthand. {{You needed a hobby and so you invented a game called Roast the Rat. Really, D if you had asked I could have come up with something a bit more entertaining, and less odiferous.}}  
  
D ignored the other's sarcastic tone. After years of association with the talkative Entity, he did it automatically. Unsheathing his sword, he slowly slid its razor tip forward across one of the more faded tiles. There was a flicker and a burst of sparks, but the rune's power winked out, as the design's symmetry was marred from a different direction than its focus. Visually tracing out a path, D stepped on the tile and repeated the process with others. Several agonizing hop steps later, he was beside the coffin. The Entity remained silent, afraid that any noise would disturb Its host's concentration and balance.  
  
That particular challenge out of the way, D inspected the casket carefully. The chains were enchanted of course, but what concerned him the most was the elaborate sigil on the lid. Not to mention the rather obvious razor sharp Blade Wall curving over the entire structure, one of the few traps designed to keep out rather than in. The blades were a dark green, almost black except for the edges where their true color showed in the thinner metal. They also emanated a power that made the floor look like a child's game of hopscotch.  
  
"Someone seems to have gone just a bit overboard," Lefthand said, its voice somewhat subdued. It REALLY did not want to disturb their rather fragile position. "The blades are a bit much, don't you think?"  
  
D studied the blades, searching for a weakness in the design. A button, a switch, Anything that would give him a clue about how to get past this particular stage. He had been schooled at a young age by tutors and even his father to think and plan before he acted, but he was a straightforward man who preferred to answer with his sword blade rather than play mind games. This whole situation was starting to irritate him more than a little, though his usual expressionless mask was still in place. Only the very few who knew him well could catch the glint of annoyance in his eyes and the slight wrinkling of his forehead.  
  
Tiring of the waiting game, he fished a small dagger out of his sleeve and threw it underhand at the coffin, ducking as a precaution.  
  
It was a good thing that he did.  
  
There was a greenish flash of light and a wind whipped his cloak along his back. D quite clearly heard the sound of multiple blades slicing through the air. Carefully easing up from his crouch, he took his hat off and slowly raised it above him. When nothing abrupt happened to it, he straightened slowly, his gaze falling on the deadly box. The blades were in the exact position they were before, but he knew that they had moved. Glancing around the room, he was glad he'd ducked.  
  
Carved into the far walls were regular, clean slash marks that coincided with the blades lining the coffin.  
  
{{WELL, THAT WAS SMART! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?!}} The Entity shrieked, unable to remain silent after the display. D was being reckless, something he hadn't indulged in since he was a child. He didn't answer the other because he usually didn't and because he really couldn't explain it himself. He frowned, reaching up to rub his forehead in an effort to clear away the fog that seemed to be encasing his thoughts.  
  
*  
  
There was something missing. Some clue he had overlooked. He could practically hear a voice that sounded disturbingly like his father chiding him for being dense. He was going about this all wrong. He was trying to weave his way through this problem like a thief. The building seemed to sense this and react against it. This was no problem for a burglar, someone who had to winnow his way in. This required the confidence and straightforward arrogance of a lord in his domain. He had every right to be where he was, no matter where. He had to strip himself of the illusion he had tried for so long to fit himself into. It was the only way to find the answer to this mystery that called to his very bones.  
  
*  
  
Vampire Hunter D straightened to his full height, his eyes flashing an angry blue. The mental cloak of solitude that he had so long wrapped around himself to appear less of a threat to humanity fell away. In his place stood the son of the most powerful vampire in history. The thin impression of an unassuming, modest nature vanished.  
  
~ How dare this pitiful trap stand in his way! ~  
  
Glaring at the blades as if trying to melt them with his gaze alone, he extended his hands and started chanting in the High Tongue, in a commanding voice that allowed no possibility of disobedience. The blades glowed in response to his power, twitching slightly in the grip of his will, struggling to swing around and slice him with their Blade Wind.  
  
He frowned and continued his chant, closing his hands into fists and rotating his wrists sharply. The blades twisted, screeching in protest as they crumpled and finally snapped off at their moorings, falling to the floor with loud clangs.  
  
D was breathing heavily, arms still spread, fingertips glowing faintly blue. He felt drained, but with it came a sense of exhilaration that he had forgotten long ago. The use of the full power of his vampire lineage combined with sheer human stubbornness.  
  
{{SINCE WHEN CAN YOU DO THAT?!!}} A voice said incredulously, interrupting his reverie. He had forgotten all about the Entity. Its' tone was awed, and more than a little frightened. D smiled grimly, realizing as he did so that his fangs were fully extended.  
  
*  
  
{{I'm your friend, right?}} Lefthand said uncertainly. It definitely Hoped so! The normally purely physical dhampir had just demonstrated a side to him that his associate did NOT want to mess with.  
  
*  
  
Bringing his breathing under control, D closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. What was going on? It was like all his years as an unpretentious hunter had fallen away, leaving the impatient, proud young son of nobility that he had been in his youth.  
  
This place. It fairly reeked of home. In all its air of quiet dignity and age, it felt so much like the bastion of security he remembered that he could practically smell it. He was not used to being thwarted in his own home by any less a personage than his father.  
  
Calming somewhat, he eyed the coffin and the glowing sigil emblazoned on its surface. His last challenge aside from the chains. His last visible one, anyway. He wouldn't put it past this blasted room to pull something else on him. He shook his head, trying to get rid of his aggravated thoughts.  
  
The rune curved at the head of the casket, written in the ancient language that even few vampires remembered. It posed a question, but exactly what was hard to make out. Impatient with just one more delay, he spoke a certain word while tapping the end of the design, silently thanking his maligned tutors for their patience. The sigil wavered, curling into a different shape like a drowsing cat.  
  
*  
  
{{What does it say?}} Lefthand asked, its voice cautiously respectful. It was still wondering where D had gone without him noticing, and whom this person was who had taken his place. D read aloud.  
  
i am a child of night  
  
yet the dAy hoLds no terror  
  
i hUnger for the blood of the living  
  
but cAn choose other fare  
  
i will bRing about your salvation  
  
or Destroy you utterly  
  
{{How cute,}} The Entity muttered. {{You certainly had a funny way of reading it. Was the emphasis just to impress me?}}  
  
*  
  
"It's the clue to the rune." D answered softly. It was clever, in a childish kind of way. No one without experience in the subject would understand. He looked at it and spoke firmly. "The answer is Alucard the Dhamphir."  
  
-----------------------  
  
Like? Bad rhyme, I know, but the designer wasn't meant to sound intelligent. Is good? Yes? No? Review please! 


	2. Chapter 2

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Castlvania doesn't belong to me. Nor does Vampire Hunter D. I'd have to have been seriously depressed to come up with them, so I can't claim any credit. Just thought it would be interesting seeing how they might meet. Please don't sue.  
  
Chapter 2 -----------------  
  
The rune wavered again, this time disappearing altogether. As he broke the chains, D could make out the muffled complaints and groans of what sounded like pain from his left hand. {{That was it? That was the big clue? Whose horrible idea of a joke was that?! I've heard better material from a drunk on a four-day binge! Latrines have better written on their walls! They must have had an even worse sense of humor than YOU . . . wait a second; did you just say dhampir?}}  
  
Lefthand's voice trailed off as the last of the chains gave way to D's deceptively slender fingers. He too was curious. The relatively simple puzzle had revealed to him what his senses had been trying to tell him all along. The unique smell/feel of human and vampire blood mixed together grew from a trace to a dominant scent as he shoved the lid aside.  
  
*  
  
Inside lay a man of slightly above average height. Long, white blond hair framed a pale aristocratic face. His lean frame was covered in dark clothing so old that they almost seemed to crackle with age as the air from the room hit them. His eyes were closed in sleep.  
  
D studied the other dhampir. His features looked familiar, but he dismissed that as the usual trait of one with vampire blood. If you searched back far enough in the family lines, you would find that all vampires are related in some way.  
  
Turning his attention away from the other's face, he searched for . something. He found it, just as he had suspected. His senses were drawn to a certain amulet around the reclining dhampir's neck. To his vision, it pulsed with malevolent power.  
  
Reaching out, he carefully passed his hand inches above its' surface. He felt a small shove as the power of the thing pushed his hand away from it. So, it was an Amulet of Holding; a powerful one, even after all this time. It held its prisoner immobile, and its power did not end there.  
  
Concentrating, D extended his senses toward it and outward. There. It appeared that it was connected to the very foundations of the castle. It was why the old place hadn't crumbled into complete ruin long ago. If he removed it now, there was little doubt that the old structure would come crashing down around his -their- ears.  
  
D studied the talisman carefully. The only way to remove it safely would be to know the Words of Release. Unfortunately, they could be anything. Probably something trite, if the lid puzzle was any example. Reaching out, his hand hovering well above the amulet, he ordered "Come off." Nothing happened, which wasn't much of a surprise.  
  
{{Maybe if you asked nicely. . .}} Lefthand said snidely, some of Its' old attitude coming back. D hesitated. Well, it had worked so far. In a move too fast for most beings to follow, his right hand snapped out, seizing the amulet in a viselike grip. Power erupted under his hand, sending a red wave of pain up his arm.  
  
Hissing slightly, he managed to inch the resisting artifact up until it was level with its' pale captive's face. Grunting with effort, shunting the agony away to the back of his mind, D struggled to move his arm against a growing tide of resistance. It was getting harder and harder by the moment to simply hold on.  
  
His teeth were gritted in a snarl, his sharp canines bared as he pushed magically as well as physically. His eyes once more blazed a bright blue, the pupil and whites disappearing, making his eyes look like slashes of azure light. His own power blazed down his arm, blue clashing with scarlet. There was a distant sound, like a voice protesting and threatening him with total annihilation for daring to challenge it. He mentally snarled in answer, and brought the full power of his birthright and the awesome strength of his will against it.  
  
The sound faltered, and D was unaware of his surroundings as he gave one convulsive heave with both mind and body. So absorbed was he that he didn't notice that he had an audience. The captive's eyes were open, watching. Then there was a roaring in his ears, and then nothing.  
  
**  
  
D awoke what felt like only moments later, stretched across the chest of someone, the top of his head brushing against the side of a hard surface. Disoriented, his survival instincts took over, banishing the still beckoning embrace of unconsciousness. Battle-honed senses had kept him alive in more disorienting situations, though even if he were able to think clearly he would be hard pressed to remembering being in one to top this.  
  
He was facedown on top of someone, the other's steady heartbeat clear in his ears, his torso and legs dangling over the sides of the coffin. This was worse than that time father had gotten him drunk. His head spun and his hand throbbed in time with his pounding heart. Dimly, he could hear his own ragged breathing.  
  
D shifted his arm to the edge of the casket, trying to prop himself up. He had risen only a few inches when his arm gave out and he nearly screamed at the agony, muffling the sound in his new pillow's coat. He'd have to use the hand with the Entity. He started to maneuver it into position, but stopped as he felt a pair of strong arms close around him.  
  
Mustering the effort, D shifted his head to his left. Blue eyes met gold. *  
  
The coffin's former solo occupant was awake and looking rather calm for someone who'd just woken up with a stranger looming over him. Curiosity warred with wariness in his eyes; feelings that mirrored D's own. They stayed like that for a few more moments.  
  
Then the white-haired man braced himself, sitting up with the hunter still in his grasp, showing little sign of the effort of using only stomach muscles that must be stiff from disuse for the task.  
  
Almost gently, the strange dhampir pushed D up until the hunter's feet were firmly planted on the ground and able to support him. D stood there, his left arm cradling his right as the other clambered out of his prison. Standing, he barely came to the vampire hunter's shoulder, but showed no unease about his lesser height.  
  
They stared intently at each other, each assessing the other like wolves who have met on a forest trail. Finally the white hair broke the tense silence.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked, his tone and the resonance of his voice even lower than D's own. What was interesting to D was the fact that he spoke in Old Romanian. He was about to respond when a sudden shock wave shook the floor, causing him to sway slightly to keep his balance. Looking up at the ceiling, he could see cracks forming, and heard the popping of ancient mortar as it crumbed. The place was coming down.  
  
D turned to the other, intending to suggest they take the conversation elsewhere, but found him rummaging quickly in the coffin for his belongings. Taking the few pouches and a short sword, his face grimacing slightly at the small weapon, he turned back to D and jerked his head toward the door. D nodded curtly in understanding, pointing toward the floor and its still possible dangers. It would not do to be burned to ash even before the stones had a chance to crash down on them.  
  
Golden eyes looked down, widening slightly at sight of the deadly tiles. D turned, still cradling his arm, and hopped back across his earlier path, knowing the other would follow. It was strange how confident he felt in his unexpected companion's abilities. He didn't have to worry about him slowing them down or getting into trouble. The white-haired dhampir, he was sure, could take care of himself.  
  
D didn't bother to look back as they bolted through the disintegrating ruin and out into the waiting night.  
  
They stopped several yards away. D noted absently that the other wasn't even breathing hard. He had been among humans so long he had expected a limitation that this man obviously didn't have. D turned and began to walk in the direction where he had tethered his horse.  
  
**  
  
The white-haired dhampir stood there for a moment, looking after the receding back of his rescuer. When Alucard had come out of his trance-like sleep to find someone standing over him he had been alarmed, reaching for his weapon. He had then realized that he couldn't move a finger. The amulet, that cursed amulet, still held him in its grip. That was when he noticed several things.  
  
The first was that the stranger seemed to be trying to push the amulet over his head with sheer physical strength. Alucard had marveled that he had gotten it as far as his head. The next was the sheer power he sensed, raw and half-trained, surging from his obvious would-be rescuer. Most startling of all were the signs of a vampire heritage.  
  
The captive half-breed had looked up into a face twisted in strain, eyes glowing like blue flames. His fangs were easily recognizable as his lips were peeled back in a snarl of effort.  
  
Then the stranger had suddenly ripped the thing from his neck, taking a few hairs with it, not that he cared. He was free. He could feel the control of his limbs returning to him. When his rescuer had collapsed, Alucard had remained still, making sure that he wasn't going to attack him next. He didn't know why this man had gone through so much effort to free him, but he really couldn't see what his ulterior motives could be.  
  
This close to him, and with his perceptions trickling back after their long disuse, his sense of smell confirmed what he had seen. There was vampire blood in this one, but what made his eyes widen was the equally obvious smell of human about him. He was a dhampir. He could hardly believe it. He had always viewed his existence as an accident of nature. Apparently it was one that could be repeated.  
  
When the strange dhampir stirred and failed in his attempt to rise he decided to return the favor, taking hold of him with the intention of helping him up. Then the dark hair had turned to look at him. Alucard had met intense eyes the deep blue of the sky at twilight. The air of age and power in them was slightly shrouded by exhaustion, but nevertheless struck him with its depth. They met his steadily, and something in them seemed to strike a cord in him. An unspoken pride, almost an arrogance that he couldn't hide, that marked him as highborn as surely as his features. Features that looked disturbingly familiar.  
  
That's when he had remembered to move, exerting the effort to sit up, and helping the man to come more easily to his feet without his having to ask.  
  
Now as he looked after the taller dhampir, Alucard felt again that flicker of curiosity that had seized him when he realized that the other was a half- breed like himself. Deciding he had nothing better to do, he followed.  
  
**  
  
D returned to his camp, trying not to show how tired he was. His arm was healing, but not nearly fast enough to quell the throbbing pain. Magical wounds tended to linger more than those caused by ordinary weapons. He was glad that he'd thought ahead and gathered a plentiful supply of firewood. He didn't think he could bend over at that moment without falling, much less pick something up.  
  
With an almost audible thump, he sat down next to the pile. Now he just had to light it.  
  
D hadn't realized that he had been staring at the wood for some time before a pair of pale hands entered his line of sight and began to rearrange it. He didn't have to look up. He knew who it was. He had felt him follow, and had been silently impressed that he made no sound audible to even his sensitive ears.  
  
When the newcomer whispered a spell, casting a fireball from his cape that quickly set the wood ablaze, D raised an eyebrow, something that from him would have been the equivalent of a normal person jumping in surprise. He hadn't seen that trick in a while. Few vampires even knew of it. Fewer still had the skill to use it. Jus how far back did this young-feeling-one hail from?  
  
D realized that his mind was wandering. He was exhausted, in pain, and hungry. Very hungry. Using magic always seemed to increase the bloodlust, which was one of the reasons why he used it so seldomly. Now with his reserves of strength lessened by the difficult struggle with the magical artifact the familiar craving returned with a vengeance.  
  
"You're hungry." A voice stated nearby. Finally looking up, D met his new acquaintance's eyes, glowing slightly red in the firelight. Looking more deeply, he felt a faint smile curve his lips. "So are you." He said, noticing the telltale gleam. He didn't blame him. He'd be absolutely starving if he had been locked in a box for as long as this man must have.  
  
**  
  
D blinked, realizing that he had almost nodded off. The need for sleep was presently greater than that of food, but he resisted. He was wary around others, not liking the vulnerability of sleep when in company. Constant vigilance kept you alive in a profession where lowering your guard for a moment could mean your life or worse.  
  
But the tired part of his mind argued for sleep, reminding him that the Entity in his hand would wake him if it thought it was in danger. The idea of trusting his life to the capricious being didn't sit well with him, but he realized that he would have to sleep voluntarily or just fall over.  
  
The other dhampir's voice cut through his mental haze, causing him to rouse slightly and turn his attention toward him.  
  
------------------------------  
  
  
  
Keep in mind that most of my knowledge comes from reading other fanfiction and playing Symphony of the Night. Also, this was written before I saw the second VHD. I think I'll ignore the red eyes and impossibly long teeth. I'm in my own little dream-world and I like it just fine thanks. Oh, and I've heard varying accounts on Alucard's eye color, so I just decided to go for my favorite. I know D seems a bit out of character, but this is a strange situation even for him. I bet you anything he was really *ahem * hot-blooded in his youth. 


	3. Chapter 3

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
I warn you now. This is SHORT  
  
Chapter 3 ---------------------  
  
"Might I know your name?" Alucard repeated patiently, realizing that the exhausted man before him had not registered his words the first time. The other looked at him for a moment. "D." He said, his voice surprisingly clear. "I am a vampire hunter."  
  
White eyebrows arched as Alucard contemplated the idea of one with vampire blood actively pursuing his kin. From what he'd seen so far, he was probably very good at it too, as evidenced by the fact that he had managed to live as long as he had.  
  
Looking back at him, he noticed that his head once again began to droop. Smiling slightly to himself, surprised to realize how protective he was feeling toward this man, he slid over to his side, making sure to make plenty of noise as he did so. It would not do to startle this one, this vampire hunter that called himself D.  
  
"You should rest now." Alucard said, softening his voice to a croon. D looked at him, his eyes suddenly clear and wary. But then the fight seemed to go out of him and he nodded, lying back, close to the warmth of the fire. Pulling a saddlebag from a small pile, he used it as a makeshift pillow. Opening a pouch, D flicked a packet toward the other dhampir, who caught it easily.  
  
"It will help take the edge off." He explained to the other's inquiring look, his voice growing faint. Alucard opened the wrapping to find some bread and dried meat. He gratefully started to eat, lingering on the meat and resolving to hunt soon.  
  
He thought D had drifted off when his voice suddenly floated up from his prone form. "I would appreciate knowing your name as well." He said, his voice sounding serious, but a bit of humor was detectable if you knew how to listen.  
  
The newly awakened dhampir returned to his meal. "Adrian," he said after a short silence. "Adrian Fairheights. But most know me as Alucard."  
  
**  
  
D awoke only a few hours after sunrise. Being a dhampir had its good points, including not needing much sleep. Fully rested and alert, though his arm still ached slightly, he looked around to see Alucard almost nose to nose with his horse.  
  
"What is it?" The white-haired dhampir asked without turning, sensing D's attention on him. D's eyes showed his amusement; the situation was just too bizarre. It must have been quite a long sleep for him not to recognize it. "It's a cyborg horse," he said. "A mixture of machine and animal." Alucard looked skeptical, but let the matter rest with one last glance at the anomaly.  
  
"How long have you slept?" D asked, starting to eat. Alucard shook his head. "I don't know. My last recollection of a year was in the early 1900's." D, his mouth full of food, nearly choked on it as his mouth went dry with realization. Over 10,000 years! No wonder he didn't have a clue what a machine was, much less something as advanced as his mount. A steam engine would seem cutting edge to him.  
  
"What is it?" Alucard asked sharply, noticing his reaction. He was good. There were few beings that could have noticed his slight hesitation, much less interpreted it as something was wrong. This Alucard seemed to do so effortlessly, like he could read his mind. *We are much alike, * D thought, the idea oddly comforting. He had never met someone like him before. His life was a chaotic mix of the dual heritages that he couldn't escape or hide. Humans would never accept him, and he wouldn't have accepted vampires even if they could him. With this man, he had met for the first time someone with the same challenges and struggles. He didn't know quite how to react yet in this new territory.  
  
What D did know was that if their positions were reversed, he would want the other to be straight with him.  
  
"It is the year 12,091 a.d." He said bluntly, nodding grimly when he saw the younger Dhampir's eyes widen in shock. *Older in generation, younger in experience. * "You have slept a long time."  
  
* Alucard could only nod numbly, his mind racing to try to comprehend the vast expanse of time he had missed.  
  
*  
  
D left him to ponder, finishing up his meal and saddling his horse. He hesitated before mounting, turning to the younger man, who seemed even smaller with the weight of his current predicament settling in. Any place he might have considered familiar was long gone by now. He was adrift in a world he neither knew nor understood. He was totally alone, not even an annoying extra voice to keep him company.  
  
Coming to a decision, he spoke. "If you wish you may travel with me for as long as you like, though you have no obligation to. I have no particular destination at the moment and wouldn't mind a little company for once."  
  
*  
  
Alucard stared at the hand being offered to him, his mind in turmoil. To accept and go into the unknown, or to go find a place to once again sleep the millennia away. Looking up into those shrouded eyes he chose, letting his heart decide for once. A smile seemed to thaw the icy barrier he kept around himself as he accepted and swung up behind his new companion.  
  
------------------ If you want more, you have to tell me! C&C watcher578@yahoo.com. Reviews are nice too. I print those out. Heehee. 


	4. Chapter 4

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Disclaimer. Vampire Hunter D and Castlvania are not mine, but belong to their respective owners. I can live with that, but I kinda wish they'd animate the second one. So, by request and because I am a Girl of my word ^_^(also because I wanted to continue it myself), here's another chapter!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
---------------  
  
It had been a week since D had found Alucard in the old ruin. One full of many surprises and revelations for Alucard. Few were pleasant.  
  
They had bypassed the little town that D had first come upon in the area. Neither of them were comfortable with people, and D doubted that there was any reward the small community could muster up anyway.  
  
They'd run into the occasional battle with various monsters on the road. Alucard had found them to be different from the one's he had known, but they still fell under his blade just as quickly. The more the pale dhamphir saw of this new world, the stranger it seemed. Everything was so different, yet so familiar all at once.  
  
The technological advances, barely begun when he had gone to sleep, were now so far advanced that they often astounded him. D's horse was just one example. The various guns and riding vehicles he glimpsed from a distance and D helpfully described were even more so. He was even more stupefied to find that these things were only remnants of the highly advanced society this desolate planet once held. Apparently, there had been a war titanic enough to include the entire world, leaving civilization devastated and left partly primitive in its wake.  
  
Even livestock were not left unmarked. The sheep looked more feral than tame. Sharp teeth and glowing eyes had replaced the previous characteristics of the no longer placid herbivore. The deer were huge. The predators even more so. Strange creatures that looked like hairless squirrels scuttled in the branches overhead.  
  
The world had turned inside out, leaving Alucard feeling that he'd come in on the latter end of a book series after only perusing the first novel twelve books ago.  
  
The one thing that hadn't changed were the constant battles, even if the foes were slightly different.  
  
Alucard shook himself out of his musings. He was cleaning his weapons after the most recent battle between them and a creature that looked like a giant red cloud. He had made sure it didn't even touch him after it stripped a small creature to the bones by enveloping it in its crimson fog. It had felt quite solid on his blade.  
  
Most creatures kept back from the two hunters, having just enough intelligence to sense that tangling with this pair would be a very bad idea. Monsters that wouldn't have thought twice about attacking a fully armed human caravan stayed away when they smelled the dhampirs. The stupid ones were made short work of.  
  
Alucard looked sourly at the short sword in his hand. He badly missed his own sword, a gift from his mother. This dinky thing wouldn't have held through the first few rooms of his father's castle. He sighed. Well, there was very little chance he'd find it after so long anyway.  
  
*  
  
D glanced over at his companion, noticing his examination of his weapon. The small thing didn't seem to suit the elegant dhamphir. He seemed more the type to have a longer, more efficient weapon. One that dispatched opponents more swiftly.  
  
*  
  
Alucard noticed D's attention and shrugged in response to his inquiring gaze, sheathing the weapon.  
  
"I had a better one, but unfortunately it was taken by the same scavenger that locked me up in that box." He explained.  
  
D was silent, but Alucard could nonetheless sense the unspoken question. He didn't say anything until they had both mounted and started again on their way from the remnants of the small interruption in their journey. After a few minutes, Alucard started to speak, the sound easily picked up by D's sharp hearing as he sat in front of him.  
  
"There was a vampire, a rather minor noble really, who sought to curry favor with his master by getting rid of me. He took my sword as evidence of the deed. He told me that he would tell him that I had been killed, while secretly holding me as a hidden card he could play if I was needed in the future."  
  
*  
  
D heard the bitterness in the otherwise calm recitation, and asked mildly, already suspecting the answer. "Who was the vampire's master?"  
  
*  
  
Alucard paused. "My father" he admitted quietly, the pain poorly hidden in his voice.  
  
*  
  
D made no other comment, simply watching the path before them. It was not in his nature to pry, for he understood well the need for secrets. He did not intrude in other's pasts. He would silently admit to a hint of curiosity about this displaced dhampir's history, but he easily dismissed it.  
  
They rode in silence for some time after that, until D finally spoke. "That way," he said, pointing to the north "lies one of the few places considered a city. It is about a day's ride from here. We'll look into getting you a new sword and a horse of your own."  
  
D felt the other's assent, but also his uncertainty. Going into such a populated place would be uncomfortable for the younger dhampir. D could relate. He never felt at ease surrounded by humans, his senses assaulted and almost overwhelmed the few times he'd had to go into such a densely populated area. True cities were rare, scattered across the planet's desolated surface.  
  
Still, the best equipment and information could be found there, if you managed to avoid some of the unhealthier regions of the metropolis, which teemed with low-class mutants and monsters. The humans that survived there were even worse.  
  
Alucard spoke up hesitantly. "I, I don't know if I can endure so many people around me at the moment. It had been so long. . ." D could almost smell the pale dhamphir's bloodlust, and the knowledge of it stirred up his own.  
  
They had traveled through the day wrapped up in their protective cloaks, shielding against the light. D's hat shaded his sensitive eyes while Alucard had a hood that cast his face in shadow. Still, they traveled on, hitting a forest at dusk, and slowed to a leisurely walk. A faster clip would have only caused the horse to stumble over hidden roots in the little- used pathway. Few people wandered the woods, especially near nightfall.  
  
Suddenly, D felt Alucard slide off the back of the saddle, his cloak making a faint whispering sound as it brushed against the leather. Looking back, the tall hunter pulled up, watching as Alucard stood in the trail and pushed back his hood, shaking his pale hair free and slowly inhaling the night's scents.  
  
"I need to go on a hunt." Alucard said, smoothing his clothing after the long ride. He looked up, his golden eyes shining in the fading light. "Would you care to join me?" He offered, indicating the deeper woods with a tilt of his head.  
  
D looked back at him for a moment, both puzzled and slightly curious. *What was he up to now? * Although he was tempted, he declined with a slight shake of his head, still eyeing the other.  
  
Alucard nodded, shrugging. Then his form seemed to blur. Moments later, in his place, crouched the form of a huge silver wolf. The beast flicked one ear in his direction, then loped off on silent paws.  
  
The sound of crickets was suddenly very loud in the stillness. Both of D's eyebrow's were raised, an action to him that would be the equivalent of another gaping in absolute astonishment.  
  
{{Wow}} the voice of the symbiote said, breaking Its long silence {{I didn't know that anyone could do that. Can you do it?}}  
  
D shook his head slowly, knowing the being in his left hand would sense it. His new companion continued to surprise him, a rare state of affairs indeed. He'd just casually displayed a power the tall hunter hand only heard rumors of. No vampire he had encountered in all his long life could do it. It was considered a lost power that the nobles, unwilling to admit the loss, denied as impossible. D decided to try to get a few more answers from the golden-eyed mystery when he returned.  
  
Swinging out of the saddle, he set about making camp.  
  
***  
  
D looked up from the blazing fire to gaze intently into the night. The sound of something moving through the brush was loud in his ears. The crack and snap of branches would have alerted normal human hearing. Along with it came a scraping noise; something heavy being dragged.  
  
Then the smell of fresh blood hit his nose, and he found himself swallowing against the sudden surge of bloodlust that rose in him like a wave. He stood in time to see a dark form drag a limp one twice its size into the firelight. As D's senses confirmed the first was the shape-changed Alucard, the last of the night blindness caused by the fire faded, revealing the sight of the still warm carcass of a giant elk.  
  
The Alucard-wolf released his vice-like grip on the back of it's neck, padding over to its front and casually ripping its throat out with one convulsive movement of his jaws.  
  
The blood-smell was now overwhelming, and D took an involuntary step forward before he halted, head unconsciously shaking in denial, fighting his enflamed instincts with the ends of his control.  
  
The silver wolf regarded him for a moment with his golden eyes, then blurred back into his humanoid form. Those same eyes sought and caught D's blue ones, trying first without words to convey his message. Understanding and reassurance dominated his tone when he spoke.  
  
*  
  
"I hunt," Alucard stated quietly "So that I will not lose control in . . . other situations. I believe there is nothing morally wrong in enjoying a fresh kill, so long as it is not a human one. In the hunt, my dual heritages do not conflict. Besides, humans eat meat as well." he coaxed. Seeing the other's continued hesitation, knowing that words would make little difference at the moment, he decided to take a chance. He pulled a goblet out of a pouch at his belt, bent and filled it with the liquid still draining from the dead animal, and then pressed it into D's hand, curling his fingers around its sides.  
  
When the other continued to do nothing except stare vacantly into the cup, he became impatient. "DRINK!" he barked, using the tone he remembered his father sometimes employed when he wanted immediate obedience.  
  
*  
  
The goblet was to his lips and the contents were sliding down his throat before D could even register the act. His eyes closed, a feeling of ecstasy washing through him as he drank the very essence of life itself. The warmth of it eased the constant hunger that he had carried for so long it now seemed a part of him. The feeling seeped down all the way to his toes, making him feel deliciously good. True, the taste was different from that of human blood, lacking a few elements while introducing new ones. Still, it was like drinking life-giving water after years spent in the desert.  
  
He had strived to reject blood entirely, believing that it was wrong. It was a practice that had often tested his control to its limits, and caused him to isolate himself as much as possible from any human contact, save for in matters of vampire hunting. He had come dangerously close to breaking, a few times, but had managed to hold out.  
  
Alucard, it seemed, had taken a different tact. He had simply switched his food source. Human blood was preferred, but this was good too. It was without guilt. It was wonderful.  
  
Tension D had not even been aware existed eased, his shoulders loosening. He realized then that he was sitting down, one hand cupping his drink. Swirling the liquid absently, as if it were fine wine, he accepted the steaming steak Alucard cut for him from the carcass.  
  
They didn't bother to use the fire.  
  
***  
  
A bright shaft of sunlight hit D's eyelids, causing the drowsing hunter to frown in annoyance, turning his head away from the unwelcome invasion of day. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, and discovered that he was propped against one of the moss-grown boulders bordering the camp. Turning his head, he located Alucard in a similar position across the remnants of the fire, one arm flung over his eyes to ward off the glare filtering through the tree canopy.  
  
D found that he was unwilling to move, so completely was he relaxed. They had gorged on meat and blood the previous night, until sitting up was a strenuous proposition. It was an indulgence that would have never occurred to D before yesterday. But somehow, with Alucard it seemed to be quite natural. Many things seemed less onerous with the other by his side. He also found it somewhat hard at the moment to be cold and unemotional like normal when he felt so Very good. All he wanted to do now was find a dry, dark place and sleep the day away.  
  
Which brought him back to the problem of moving. He squinted as more light broke through the trees.  
  
{{If you don't move, you're going to overheat.}} Lefthand commented, sounding amused. D frowned. "Silence." He muttered, shifting slightly into the boulder's shadow.  
  
{{Why? He's asleep. Besides, you need to tell him about me anyway. Better sooner, before you have to use me in a fight.}}  
  
D paused. It made sense. Surprises in a battle situation could cost precious seconds. But the idea of telling his new companion about the symbiote was . . .uncomfortable.  
  
{{Come on D, you're not ashamed of me, are you?}} the being teased, mock hurt in its voice. D only grimaced. {{It's easy. All you have to say is that you have a semi-demonic entity bonded to your left hand that's can be very helpful in certain situations.}} Left-hand cajoled.  
  
*Simple. * D thought sourly. He opened his mouth to reply.  
  
"Sounds pretty straightforward to me." A calm voice called from nearby, banishing whatever D had been about to say to oblivion. Turning his head, he met the amused eyes of the other dhampir. Alucard shifted out of the sunlight, getting comfortable before resuming. "I was wondering where that voice was coming from." His eyes smiled. "Wolves have keen ears."  
  
Lefthand was silent for all of two seconds, then-  
  
{{You Know about me?! Great! Let me tell you how good it is to talk to someone besides Mr. Conversation here. The abuse I put up with simply because I . . .}}  
  
It rambled on, as if trying to make sure that no silence intruded on the clearing. After five minutes, D was gritting his teeth and ready to fist his hand to shut the thing up.  
  
"I had a sword familiar once." Alucard said, his voice cutting through the chatter, drawing D's attention once again. The younger dhamphir continued "It questioned my worthiness to wield it, it never shut up, and was more likely to be swinging at the ceiling when the enemy was on the floor." The golden eyes danced with amusement, his lip's quirking wryly. "I guess I got off easy."  
  
{{Hey!}} The symbiote exclaimed, but cut off its' protest as D gave a low chuckle, the sound a bit rusty.  
  
There was a stunned silence, then {{Whoa! He laughed! You made him laugh! That's it, the world's ending. Again!}}  
  
*  
  
Alucard only lifted a pale eyebrow, then hoisted himself up, using the boulder for support. His stomach protested, the heavy weight of all that meat pulling him down. His metabolism was designed primarily for a more liquid diet. The occasional solids helped dampen his darker instincts, but he'd gone just a bit overboard this time. It reminded him of a lighter version of his father's famous orgies. He figured he deserved a night off, and judging by how tightly wound D was, he'd need several.  
  
"Let's not do this again for a while." He groaned, swaying slightly on his feet. He felt clumsy and slow. D silently agreed, grimacing in discomfort as he, too, rose. He no longer felt in the least drowsy. Saddling the horse would be a trial.  
  
Alucard tried to stretch, but gave up the effort. He glanced at the remains of his kill, and decided to leave it for the scavengers. Burying it would probably be a useless effort, if the huge monsters he'd seen the day before were any indication. He'd take it away from camp, though. No use turning this nice spot into a hangout for predators. Grabbing a leg, he dragged it off into the brush while D cleared the camp.  
  
They rode off in silence, Alucard slumped slightly forward, resting against the other's back. Most of the unease between strangers had vanished with the night, and they now rode in comfortable silence.  
  
Next stop, the city.  
  
------------------------------ Vell? Is good? Made up a lot of Shtuff, but ah, vell. Trying to be good. Only want to compliment. Comments always velcome^,-,^ Oh, yeah. I know both of them are about equal in hesitance to 'giving in' to their need for blood, but I figured that at least one of them could have found a better solution. Alucard seemed the logical choice. 


	5. Chapter 5

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Disclaimer: Come on now. It's not mine. I'm sure that's clear by now.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
------------------  
  
The city was called New Haven. Why it was named so was a mystery that it's current inhabitants didn't bother to dwell on. Whether there had been an Old Haven was irrelevant, although the fact that they needed a new one didn't bode well for what had happened to the last one.  
  
New Haven, as all cities seemed to require, had a low side. The slums, the poor district, the bad side of town. Any of these labels made wise men steer clear of its' shadows. The not so bright ones didn't last long enough to pollute the gene pool with their idiocy. The narrow alleys and overhanging roofs there provided excellent highways for thieves, murderers, and various other things you wouldn't want to introduce your mother to. In a city of the past they would have been considered scum. In this future, you could be eaten by something that was actually made of the substance.  
  
In a particularly dark alley there slumped a building that looked no different from its' shabby neighbors. There was no sign, no notice declaring it to be a bar. None was needed. If you had managed to make it this far into the district, you knew where you were going.  
  
The bar didn't really have a name. Some more frequent patrons had dubbed it 'The Hole', since the main room was located in the basement with only a few old neon lights and less modern things like oil lamps to illuminate the dim interior.  
  
The clientele was hard to make out in the dusky light. Most kept to the shadowed corners. Others you could see all too well. The Hole was equal opportunity. If you didn't get gutted or eaten (or both), then you were welcome. Race wasn't a problem. SPECIES wasn't important either, as the various mutants and even one lone werewolf lapping at a keg of some foamy substance at the bar could attest.  
  
There were a few humans. The bartender was one, though he could have been taken for a mutant considering he towered over seven feet, nearly brushing the ceiling, and had the girth of a pro- wrestler suffering a terminal steroid overdose.  
  
Everyone kept to themselves, or in packs. No one made eye contact (or whatever appendage they used to see with) with anyone else. It kept the body count down that way, and left less mess on the floor for people to slip on.  
  
Still, the managerie couldn't help but glance up as light footsteps come down the shabby steps, and they heard the battered door creak open. They looked and saw what appeared to be a tall, auburn-haired man. He wore body armor that hugged his lean frame like a protective shell. A wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over pale blue eyes that glowed in the faint light as he scanned the crowd. His long black cape fell to his ankles, moving with him in an eerily life-like ripple.  
  
He met their furtive looks squarely, his whole posture a challenge to anyone who might contest his presence.  
  
The regulars looked quickly away, and the slightly newer ones followed suit. In their world you either developed certain instincts or you were dead very quickly. Right now those same senses were telling them that this was one being that shouldn't be messed with. The werewolf at the bar looked up, sniffing the air with his extremely acute nose. He growled softly, then whined, his tail dropping in submission as the stranger glanced his way. Ducking his head, he moved further down the bar.  
  
The man stepped out of the doorway, making his way to a booth in the back. Low class mutants that looked all muscle and teeth shied away from the corners of his cape.  
  
Behind the tall hunter appeared another man, much shorter and paler than the first. His white hair shone in the lamplight, his golden eyes wary as he looked around. He was dressed in antique armor, with his own redlined black cape drawn closely about him. He looked like he had stepped out of an ancient royal court, instead of a back alley. (The Hole was to a court what indoor plumbing was to a cesspit. Only in this case, the cesspit would have smelled cleaner). Holding his breath as much as possible, he followed his taller associate.  
  
***  
  
D took a seat at the furthest table, his back to the wall with a good view of the room and the exits. Alucard slid beside him, his unease almost palpable. Unable to resist any longer, he drew a handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his mouth and sensitive nose, shielding them as much as possible from the various unidentifiable odors wafting about the place.  
  
A flick of D's wrist sent a coin spinning across the table, and a small gnome-like man scurryed to his side. D ordered biscuits and the house special. The meat wasn't to be trusted, and Alucard didn't even want to think about what the drinks might be made of.  
  
The little man, who was sweating so much he glistened in the light, bowed and hurried off with the order. The coin had long since disappeared somewhere about his person.  
  
*  
  
Alucard leaned closer to D, his voice low and somewhat muffled. "Tell me why we've come here again." he murmured, his eyes carefully avoiding looking at the huge roach that was crawling across their table.  
  
"Because this is where my contact is." D answered in his quiet voice, his eyes continuously scanning the room. "In places such as this, no one asks awkward questions and you are left alone. Sometimes, that is the greatest luxury you can find." He added softly.  
  
Alucard leaned back, his hand lowering from his face as he mulled that over. Looking around, he had to admit that among the mutants, lowlifes, and other things less identifiable, that two dhamphirs were barely noticable. There was truth to D's statement, but honestly this place turned his stomach in more ways than one. He mused silently that he must have been truly spoiled in his life, despite the hardships, to disdain even the lowest of shelters. He ruefully acknowledged that he was acting like a stuffy courtier.  
  
He would endure, and learn all he could. Still, he would be glad to leave this place.  
  
In deep thought, he almost missed the arrival of the informant. Alucard studied the . . .male? . . . creature. It looked like the results of an experiment by an alchemist who had tried to amalgam a man with a rat, only partially succeeding. The thing had a long, rodent-like nose that twitched as it smelled the air around it. Shiny black eyes that bulged in their sockets peered out at him with wary interest. If his ears were of a similar rodentia origin, they were mercifully hidden by a thatch of pale grey fur-like hair that looked like a dandelion puff.  
  
The creature studied him for a moment, before turning his attention to D.  
  
"Why didn't you come alone? The deal is that there is no one else." he accused in a squeaky voice that grated over Alucard's nerves like fingers on a chalkboard. He resisted the urge to cover his ears.  
  
D only gazed down at the rat-man impassively, his usual non- expression firmly in place even before they had entered the city. He replied calmly to its demand, his voice cool. "He is my partner, and thus part of my dealings. Is there a problem with this?" A falling spear of ice would have been less menacing.  
  
The thing's face scrunched up, making it look like a particularly ugly dust bunny. It seemed to mull that one over. Its nose was still twitching. Finally it replied, casting a shrewd glance the taller hunter's way. "I've never known YOU to trust anyone enough to team up with them." he squeaked. His eyes darted briefly to Alucard. "But it makes sense that if you'd have any, HE'D be the one." It said, poking a filthy claw in Alucard's direction.  
  
Alucard only lifted an eyebrow, his expression matching D's. The shrewd look in its beady eyes told him that the thing thought it was clever. He didn't give it the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of him, but privately he wondered at the comment. Staring it down, his gaze dipped pointedly to the extended digit.  
  
The rat-man quickly lowered his paw, its eyes speculative as he studied him, growing respect in their depths. The force of the will behind the eyes of the pale dhamphir had proven that he was not to be taken lightly. The rodent, too, had shown that it had some sense by backing down.  
  
D interrupted the stretched out silence. "Have you any news of Nobles active in this area, Onezumi?" He asked, his tone indicating that he could care less about the little confrontation.  
  
The named Onezumi turned to him, cocking his head. He snorted, the sound coming out in a wheeze. "The city council denies any possibility of a vampire presence in the city, as usual." He replied, sniffing in disdain. "However. . ." He trailed off, rubbing his hands and trying to look sly. ". . .There is a large brownstone house in the middle-class section of the city where some rather strange happenings have been reported lately. People go in and are never seen again. Young women going missing. There have even been reports of some rather disturbing noises heard late at night."  
  
Onezumi grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming yellow in the lamplight.  
  
"Inside it looks like a typical home for a well-to-do antique merchant. That is, until you get to about basement level." He paused, waggling one finger. "One of our scouts checked it out, and barely got out with his hide intact. There's an entire cavern underneath the house, going quite far underground. He didn't venture far, but saw enough lower minions to know that there must be a blood-sucker about the place."  
  
"Give me what you can of the layout of the fortress." D commanded, drawing out a large pouch that clinked suggestively. Eyes gleaming as he eyed the obvious moneybag greedily, the rat- man eagerly complied.  
  
*  
  
Alucard tuned most of the conversation out, knowing that he could dredge it up from his memory when needed. Letting his mind drift, he thought about the past few days.  
  
It had taken longer than expected to get to their destination. It seemed to be monster season, and the terrain was rough and full of twisting canyons. They had gotten turned around several times, despite the fact that both had an excellent sense of direction.  
  
In that time they had grown to know each other a little better. There was a silent agreement between them not to discuss their pasts, allowing them to relax around each other even more. Each found the other reliable in guarding their backs, which was a new sensation in and of itself.  
  
Alucard's skills and fighting instincts had been stretched to new limits, bringing back the forgotten thrill of a real challenge into his life. For so long, fighting had been anything but fun. His heart had rarely ever been in it.  
  
Now with all reluctance gone, he was free to move forward. Maybe even enjoy himself a little. Ever since he had broken off with his father, he had thought himself condemned to a life of misery. When he had actually faced and killed him, he had added more guilt to his already heavy burden of it.  
  
He regretted having to fight his own sire, but Alucard had no such compunctions when it came to going up against his power-mad descendents.  
  
And he was no longer alone. That in itself was more reward than he ever thought he was worthy of receiving.  
  
*  
  
Alucard brought his attention back to the here and now as D rose, flipping the rat-man his payment. The informer snatched it midair and quickly scurried away into the shadows. They didn't bother to stay for their meals. Alucard gratefully followed him, being careful to avoid touching anything with the ends of his cloak.  
  
Stepping outside, D swung into the horse's saddle, Alucard settling quickly behind him. The shorter hunter wasn't really surprised to see bloody scraps of cloth fluttering around the cybernetic animal's feet. Someone had apparently tried to steal it, and received quite a beating from the loyal animal, whom D had not even bothered to tie up.  
  
They started off at a swift trot. Alucard spoke up, his voice low. "How much did you find out?" He asked, his eyes continuously scanning the buildings around them.  
  
"I got only a partial description, but the scout was able to make out the general size of the complex." They fell silent as a strange sound came from an alley they were passing. D continued. "Onezumi is a member of a small tribe of Animal Types that have banded together for mutual protection and profit. The scout was a half-bat, so his sonar report should be pretty accurate."  
  
Alucard nodded. He had more than a little experience with bats himself. "So what's our first move?" He asked.  
  
"First-" D said, and Alucard could just detect the amusement in his voice. "-we'll see about getting you a better weapon, and a horse of your own."  
  
Alucard smiled slightly. "I'd appreciate it." He said, as they turned a corner.  
  
***  
  
The next morning they made their way to the suspected house. It really did look innocent. The paint was even peeling off the eaves.  
  
Leaving their horses in an alleyway (Alucard had picked out a fine one that closely matched D's), they scouted out the outside of the place.  
  
{{How about just knocking and see what answers?}} Lefthand said loudly, earning It twin glares and a slap against D's belt. {{It was just a suggestion}} it muttered.  
  
At the back of the house, Alucard found a small door at the bottom of a few steps. It was locked, but was quickly taken care of by Alucard's surprising talent for lock picking. Carefully, they slipped inside, peering into every shadowy corner.  
  
They appeared to be in a large basement. The dirt floor gave slightly underneath their feet as they paced the perimeter of the room. There was nothing. No signs of a trap door, sliding stone, or any other evidence of an entrance leading lower.  
  
{{Maybe we got the wrong house.}} Lefthand volunteered softly as they met again in the center of the room.  
  
There was the far-off clanking of gears, and the floor under them neatly split into two halves, sending them plummeting down a long underground shaft.  
  
{{Of course I've been known to be wrong!}} Lefthand wailed as they dropped into the unknown.  
  
---------------- Never fear, the next chapter is near! Thanks for all the encouragement. I really appreciate all the reviews. How's this one Emiri-chan? 


	6. Chapter 6

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Disclaimer: n. 1. A denial or disavowal of legal claim: A relinquishment of or formal refusal to accept an interest or estate. 2. Denial: Disavowal: Repudiation. (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Merriam-Weber Inc., 1993)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
---------------------  
  
Alucard cursed himself as he fell, quite literally, for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Shifting in midair, he moved until he was spread- eagle, slightly slowing his downward speed. Closing his eyes, he concentrated.  
  
D's dark cloak billowed out, moving to its' master's mental command. His fall became a fast glide as the folds of cloth acted like a rough parachute. Turning his head, D was just in time to see Alucard's form blur, reforming into an enormous black bat. The Alucard-bat squeaked at him, his large leathery wings making loud echoes as the sound of their beating bounced off the vertical tunnel's walls.  
  
Eventually, D landed softly on a dry floor, his cape floating down behind him. Alucard followed closely behind, hovering before changing back to human form. They stepped away from the opening just before the dust from the basement floor caught up to them.  
  
"You'll have to teach me how you do that." D said softly, trying to avoid having his voice carry far. Alucard rewarded him with a smile and a nod. Looking around, the light-haired hunter sighed mentally. They were in a passage made of fitted stones; a scenario he was far too familiar with. He signaled to D that he would take point, and received a nod in acknowledgement.  
  
**  
  
They moved forward soundlessly, senses alert. The place reeked of fouled magic, and something else. Alucard wrinkled his nose. There was a faint, tantalizingly familiar odor in the distance, getting stronger by the second as they walked toward it.  
  
{{What is that Stench?!}} Lefthand whispered harshly as the smell became overwhelming.  
  
Then they heard the sound of flesh scraping on stone, and their ears caught the mindless moaning of those who cannot rest even in death. Alucard grimaced.  
  
"Zombies." He said, not bothering to hide his disgust as the things shuffled into view, rotting even as they moved sightlessly forward. The smell was nearly overpowering now. "I hate Zombies."  
  
D didn't reply, simply unsheathing his long sword. His mouth was firmly clamped shut and he was no doubt wishing at that moment that he couldn't use his nose. Alucard unsheathed his own, new sword. It was long, though not nearly as long as D's, and resembled a stiletto whereas D's was modeled after a Japanese katana. "Let's get this over with." He said grimly, before taking the offensive.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, after they had hacked their way through a horde of putrid undead, they made their way out of the low tunnel into a dimly lit hall. Cleaning their weapons thoroughly, they continued to keep them close at hand. With more space, Alucard opted to take the high road, changing into his bat form and gliding near the ceiling. The wall torches lit by themselves as they passed them.  
  
The Alucard-bat continued to scout around, this time using his echolocation to discover possible traps. He had to remind himself that this was not Castlvania. The place had been a death trap, but its' chaotic nature could also help you along the way, if you knew where to look. This place could be totally lethal, and so he kept on his proverbial toes.  
  
**  
  
After the zombies, they encountered Worgs. These newest monsters announced themselves by leaping from the shadows ahead of them toward the ceiling in an effort to crush Alucard in snapping jaws.  
  
The rest of the pack surged into view and D engaged at least half of them on the floor, easily slicing through the huge, wolf-shaped monsters with his long curved sword.  
  
Meanwhile, Alucard met the first Worg with a trio of fireballs. The thing caught the foremost one full in the face, the other two scorching its furry chest as it threw back its head to yelp in pain. It fell, crashing into two more of its kind on the way down. They all landed in a mass of fur and teeth on the blood red rug that draped the middle of the long hall.  
  
Alucard followed, changing back to human form just a few feet from the floor, his blade out and slicing. Trusting to D to take care of the ones behind him, he took out those facing him, his senses alert for any more surprises from the unexplored darkness in front of them.  
  
He felt a rush of air and the musky scent heralding the presence of a Worg behind him. Almost absently, he thrust his sword back at about hip level, the creature skewering itself with its own momentum. Jerking out the blade, he stepped clear of its death throes, peering into the darkness.  
  
He had only a second's warning as he heard what could only be called a squelch. "Duck!" He barked, trusting D to take the admonition seriously.  
  
A large glob of a green, jelly-like substance flew past, at normal waist height. It hit a sidewall, and there was a loud hiss and the smell of strong chemicals as it began to eat through the stone.  
  
Still prone, Alucard glanced around to see that the last of the Worgs had been dispatched and was currently dissolving as the magic that it had been made up of was released. He was pleased to note that D was in a similar position as he, several feet away.  
  
Quickly turning his attention to the new problem, his eyes widened as a small horde of horrors oozed into view.  
  
Blobmen. Most of them were green, like the one who had thrown the acidic missile. A few, however, were a deep red, and his eyes narrowed. The Reds were in the last three ranks, so he would have to go through quite a bit of their unripe counterparts to get to them. This type of situation he knew well. He called out again, rising into a ready crouch and sheathing his sword.  
  
"Use your sword and normal fire on the green ones. Magic will not work well on them. The red ones can be killed only by magic. I'll take them." He was moving forward even as he spoke, carving a straight path through the first slimy ranks, heading for what he judged the most dangerous of the opposition.  
  
He knew that they would reform behind him, but he once again had to trust in D's skill. He took care not to let any of the slime get on him or his clothing. He didn't bother to tell D to be careful about it. The older hunter was far too experienced not to know that fact already, probably better than he did.  
  
Chanting under his breath, Alucard drew his cloak about him and disappeared, reappearing behind the last line and opening his cloak to allow several fireballs to fly out from its' folds. The fiery artillery struck the last rank, decimating them before they could turn toward him. He repeated the technique with the other two, then redrew his sword.  
  
Red smoke filled the passage as the things dissolved, formless mouths gaping in silent cries as they melted. Alucard pulled a corner of his cloak over his mouth and nose, trying not to breathe in any of the fumes. The sound of a sword slicing through air and ectoplasm came faintly through the reddish tinge. When the air finally cleared, it revealed an unruffled D, standing in the middle of a small crater of sizzling dark green slime. He held his dripping sword in one hand well away from his body, and a torch he had snatched from a wall sconce in the other. Alucard could not help but admire his professionalism. D acted as though fighting poisonous slime was a typical part of his day. It probably was.  
  
"I think we're near the end of this level." Alucard said, pushing away any thoughts other than their progression through the lair. He turned, leading the way forward. Both of them still had their cleaned weapons out and in ready position in front of them. Any other missiles of any type would be easily blocked before they got close.  
  
Alucard frowned to himself. "Is it my imagination, or are we being tested in some way?" He mused aloud for D's benefit. "The monsters are coming at far too regular intervals, and the Magic Blobmen were all at the back. Anyone with even a slight grasp of strategy would have known to put them sporadically throughout the group, making it more difficult to take them out quickly without injury."  
  
"Foolish vampires seldom live for long." D replied, scanning their surroundings, not relaxing in the least. His quiet voice was pitched so that there were no echoes even in the tube-like hall. "I have a feeling that this one is neither young, nor overly foolish." He said flatly, his tone clearly conveying that he was done speaking. It was all he needed to say. Alucard, too, now registered the presence of old power that seeped through the very walls. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the sensation of unseen eyes.  
  
***  
  
In a hidden room much deeper in than they, a shadowed figure watched their progress. Long, supple figures tapped idly on the crimson shaded armrest of a plush easy chair. Red eyes and white teeth flashed in the darkness as the Noble smiled.  
  
"At long last, an interesting challenge." He murmured to himself, chuckling. His gaze never left the scrying fog he had called up to observe the invaders in his domain. He must learn more of the two exceptionally rare creatures that had fallen into his clutches.  
  
***  
  
Alucard and D reached the end of the hallway. Ahead, the passage enlarged into a spacious room, rectangular in shape. Staying just inside the doorway, they peered warily up where the ceiling should be. The top was not visible. Although they were no longer moving, the torches that had followed them continued to light, continuing into the room and ringing the walls until they ended on the opposite side, quite obviously framing a normal sized door set in the wall straight in front of them.  
  
The two exchanged speaking glances, and hands tightened on weapons.  
  
{{Does the term 'Lambs to the Slaughter' ring any bells for you two?}} Lefthand whispered sarcastically in the tension laden silence.  
  
-----------------  
  
Ok. Short and long in coming. But the next chapter is right after it, so don't start throwing stuff yet. Man, this whole scene has made me feel like a cheap video games planner. Please forgive me! And most importantly . . . This whole storyline was made up by me. I did not get it from ANYWHERE ELSE. I do not plagiarize, thank you very much! If I like an idea or angle on something someone else wrote, I ask the fanfic author's PERMISSION FIRST! Man, how insulting. I got my first flamer and it was a real shame because I actually LIKE that author's work. 


	7. Chapter 7

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Vampire Hunter D and Castlvania are not owned, operated, or are even aware of me. The storyline, however, I made up. Thanks to all who support me.   
  
Chapter 7  
  
--------------------  
  
Alucard decided to be the bait, diving into the room and rolling to his feet. Moving quickly, he headed for toward the right, head low. D followed in a similar fashion, but moved to the left.  
  
A distant roar, like the blades of a huge fan, rumbled through the room. The sound soon became discernable as the beating of enormous wings as something quite large dropped from above. Bat-like wings glistened greasily in the light, their span stretching across most of the room.  
  
The huge monster landed hard enough to buckle the stones under its three- toed feet. The walls shook with the aftershocks and plaster fell.  
  
The two hunters kept their feet.  
  
The creature towered over them, a mass of bulging muscle under a green- tinged hide. Its face was clearly demonic, sporting a pig-like snout that showed the only normal coloring it had. Little black eyes were set back deep into the skull, and peered nearsightedly around as it snorted, sniffing around for them. To complete the effect, tusk stuck up on either side of its jaws, and a bristly mane swept from crown to waist.  
  
It roared, raising stubby fingered hands the size of wagons over its head. Reaching back, it pulled two weapons. One was a saw-edged blade almost as tall as it was. The second was, inevitably, a club.  
  
The beast seemed confused, moving its massive head on its short neck from one Hunter to the other. It was obviously not used to making such a difficult decision as to who to attack first. They had placed themselves strategically opposite each other, one on either side of their anticipated enemy.  
  
Before it could make up its tiny mind they both moved, so smoothly that even an experienced, intelligent opponent would have been hard-pressed to spot the slight tensing of muscles that heralded an attack.  
  
This creature missed it entirely.  
  
Alucard went low, slicing at the muscles on the back of one tree-trunk- sized leg. The beast roared in surprise and pain, its attention immediately turning downward to the one who stung it, swinging the massive club at the pale-haired hunter . . .  
  
Who was already well out of range by the time the spiked weapon crashed down where he had been.  
  
With its attention diverted low, D jumped from just behind its right shoulder, landing on its' round head and slashing at the neck and eyes. The roar turned up in volume, followed by an earsplitting squeal as D found one of its eyes.  
  
Meanwhile, Alucard had returned to harassing its balance, weaving through its legs and carving gaping wounds in its calves and ankles. He avoided striking into the back of the knees. His sword could easily get stuck between the two joints, lessening his effectiveness down to a dagger. Finally, with an especially accurate cut, he severed the hamstrings in its left leg.  
  
The thing shrieked, and both hunters winced. Its leg crumpled under it and it went down on one knee. It looked down at its leg, the pest on its head temporarily forgotten as it wondered why the leg no longer followed its commands. Alucard took the opportunity to sprint around and up the bowed back. He didn't bother going for the spine. It would be too hard to cut through. The jugular, on the other hand . . .  
  
The pig-demon was now aware of them, and had somehow made the connection between them and its inability to use its limb well. Roaring in rage, it swung its weapons at its own head.  
  
***  
  
The silent observer slowly shook his head, disgust clear in his voice. "Idiot." he muttered.  
  
***  
  
The creature was quickly working itself into a frenzy. All its blows did was cause itself damage, as the pests were never there when the weapons landed. It was now half-blind and reeling. It instinctively felt the urge to flee, and started flapping its massive wings.  
  
D and Alucard got firmer holds as the wind that swept up threatened to knock them from their perches. They had to move quickly or risk falling from a height with the creature above them. Dodging the creatures continued swings, they scrambled to the shoulders.  
  
The demon seemed to gain some measure of intelligence, or luck. Dropping one of its weapons, its hand was now free to make a more accurate grab for them. Alucard thought he had dodged the fist, until he felt a sudden tugging at his throat. The next instant he was lifted clear of the shoulder and dangled by his cloak in front of the red-rimmed snout. The foul breath blasted against him, sending him into a spin as the thing eyed him angrily and snorted. Alucard jabbed the fingers about him with his needle-like sword, but that only irritated it more.  
  
Alucard reached for the clasp of his cloak. A drop was better than being eaten or squeezed and Then eaten. Then the thing reared back, its mouth wide. Alucard tried to hurry with the intricate clasps.  
  
Then a jet of black blood gushed out of the open mouth, soaking Alucard in an instant. Alucard dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers as the thing gurgled. Alucard looked up to see that D had reached its throat, and had used his opportunity while the thing was still distracted by its captive. The older Hunter and their opponent crashed down after him. Alucard barely avoided being flattened.  
  
The demon started thrashing, its death throes threatening to take its killers with it in the small space. D quickly ended that potential problem by running his sword deep into its blinded eye, holding tight to the green skin with hand and feet. The thing spasmed one last time, then quieted. D jumped off as the body started to dissipate into black mist before dissolving altogether.  
  
Alucard had pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere and was attempting to wipe off his face. He dripped from head to toe. He looked up at D through the mask of gore, golden eyes rueful. "Nice kill." He remarked.  
  
*  
  
D nodded, checking him over for injuries. Aside from the mess that lingered even after its originator was long gone, they were only slightly bruised from near misses and hard landings.  
  
"Good teamwork." D replied, inclining his head. He saw Alucard's eyes widen in pleasure at the acknowledgement. D rarely complimented, but the other had more than earned it.  
  
*  
  
Together they approached the door. Careful handling with their weapons revealed that it wasn't booby-trapped. On the other side was the foot of a broad stairway that led upward, twisting around at intervals. Alucard sighed, and D cast him an inquisitive look. Alucard caught it and grimaced. "Just sick of winding stairs." He admitted, sloshing as he moved forward. He wished heartily for an opportunity to wash off, but knew he was unlikely to get one. Moving forward even more cautiously if possible, they set foot on the first step. ** They traveled upward. This seemed a lot easier to Alucard than the last time he'd been in a similar situation. For one thing, he had someone to look up while he looked down and vice-versa. For another, he knew it was futile to wonder just How LONG a flight of stairs could possibly be, so he didn't waste any of his time letting it irritate him.  
  
So far the most dangerous thing they had encountered were steps that had a nasty habit of being less solid than they appeared. D had discovered this unfortunate fact and only a quick grab and pull by Alucard had stopped him from falling through to the darkness below. D had nodded, but Alucard got the distinct impression that his help was appreciated but unnecessary. He sighed inwardly. Well, he was doing what he could. However, he did not like the feeling of uselessness that sentiment conjured.  
  
He was still pondering what he could do to be of help when he noticed a faint glow emanating from the next turn of the staircase. His eyes narrowed at the sickly blue and white color and he wracked his brain for the memory of just where he'd seen it before. He was slightly ahead, and so was the first to catch a glimpse of bone-white hair that moved in an unseen breeze.  
  
Golden eyes widened in abrupt realization and real fear raced along his spine. He had only a second warning, but managed to get out a brief warning as he dove to the stairs.  
  
"Banshee!!" He shouted, clapping his hands over his ears a split second before an unearthly scream ripped through the air. The lethal sound cut through the feeble protection of his hands, cutting into his mind like a vocal razor. Had he not already been down, he would have fallen to his knees.  
  
Struggling to shake from his limbs the insidiously numbing effects, he raised his head in time to see that D was already moving, sword out and targeting the pale female shaped figure that floated before them. It's face would have been pretty if it had not been for the black holes that were in place of her eyes, and the malicious hate that twisted her features. Hissing, she dodged the long blade, her mouth opening once again in her own attack.  
  
Groping in the folds of his cloak, Alucard nearly sighed in relief as he found what he was searching for, a block of what looked like white candle wax. Quickly breaking off four pebble-sized bits of it, he gratefully inserted two of them into his ears.  
  
Meanwhile, the banshee was still managing to keep out of D's formidable reach. Hissing, its hands were in front of it in a defensive gesture, the nails black and claw-like. She seemed far wilier than was normal for her kind, warily hovering out of reach and using her deadly voice to her best advantage. It was no longer a danger to him, protected as he was by the special earplugs, only a slight annoyance to his sensitive ears. D was still on his feet, but even he had started to stagger a little as the thing turned her assault fully on him, forgetting the other. It was a mistake that Alucard was determined she would not survive to learn from.  
  
Producing a small whip from a pouch, he lashed out with it, catching the mad ghost by the ankles and pulling her toward him with all the strength in his arm. Her wail turned to a screech of surprise as the movement flung her to the floor, skidding several feet forward. Furious, she sat up and turned her scream on him, but he paid it no heed as he raced up the remaining steps and closed the distance between them. She had half-risen by then, not quite balanced, so the force of his charge as he rammed into her rag-clad form had the effect of flinging her back against then over the rail on the small landing. Her now despairing cry remained long after her g low could no longer be detected below, cutting off abruptly minutes later.  
  
*  
  
D moved forward to where Alucard was leaning against the stone of the rail, shaking off the lingering effects of the literally heart-stopping scream. Taking a moment to collect himself, he gazed at the other, a small spark of curiosity lighting in his dark blue eyes.  
  
"How were you not affected?" He asked quietly, surveying the other.  
  
Alucard turned toward him, still propping himself up slightly, and smiled wanly, holding out the remaining two split off pieces, meeting the other's questioning eyes. "These are made from the wax of altar candles. They block out the debilitating effects of the voices of the undead." He sighed. "Though they don't do anything for the volume." He apologized, wincing slightly and rubbing his aching ears.  
  
D took the offered protection, nodding his thanks. His respect for the younger dhamphir's tactical expertise increased. Despite his comparative youth, Alucard had evidently gone through more than his share of battles. He had learned quickly from them, as evidenced by fact that he had survived so long. He was resourceful and adapted quickly to a given situation, the sign of a survivor and good hunter.  
  
D realized then, as Alucard had earlier, that he was glad to have this singular individual to guard his back. He had unknowingly taken much of the problem of staying at constant alert to all directions at all times off his broad shoulders. What one of them might inadvertently miss, the other picked up.  
  
D's ingrained stoicism eased slightly, replaced by a refreshing calm. He had never looked beyond the next mission, now knowing for certain, or caring, that he would survive to the next one. Now he couldn't shake the certainty that just about anything could be possible with the two of them as a team.  
  
**  
  
The journey upward continued, slowed only briefly as they encountered more frequent opposition. They fought past dozens of human fighters that had the blank, empty eyes of those doomed as thralls. They quickly put them out of their misery, moving on to the next challenge. Spell twisted parodies of bats that were twice as large as they were assailed them, dropping from the unseen ceiling to try and rip them with their claws. The creatures also spat streams of acid that ate into the stone of the steps but they managed to avoid getting on their more vulnerable flesh by careful dodging in the limited space, taking advantage of the twists in the stairway to throw the monsters off their aim.  
  
They ran across a few more banshees, but were well prepared this time and made short work of them as the element of surprise was no longer in the creatures' favor.  
  
Finally they turned one final corner after what seemed days of climbing to discover a large landing, ending in two ornate double doors. Their dual heritages made it so that they were barely winded from the journey, but nevertheless some signs of mental fatigued showed in Alucard's eyes. There's only so much one can take of a seemingly endless task without feeling a bit weary. Even D was somewhat ragged around the edges.  
  
Pausing in front of the doors, they each gripped a curved handle. They didn't even bother to glance at each other in confirmation. Each knew what the other was thinking. As one, they pulled both doors open.  
  
------------------------  
  
Me again. Sorry for the wait. The death threats were rather touching. You DO care! *sniff * Anyway, to make up for it I'll give you more than just the last part of a chapter I should have done quite a while ago. shrugs sheepishly I've been getting some complaints that I'm downplaying Alucard's expertise. I'm trying not to, but it's a bit hard when D has, quite possibly, 10,000 years more experience than he does. So, I downplayed HIS ability to handle a creature that Alucard was probably quite familiar with. Most of the monsters seem to have changed (mutated) since whatever war destroyed human civilization in the world. This lair holds a few of the remaining traditional types that Alucard is more familiar with. 


	8. Chapter 8

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Chapter 8  
  
---------------------  
  
The ornate doors opened to reveal a plush suite of rooms. Uncomfortable looking expensive furniture, wall hangings, and various paraphernalia choked the small space, narrowing the walking area considerably. It looked like the harem of some legendary pasha from a storybook.  
  
The question was, where were the occupants?  
  
The next room revealed the answer. The entire space was piled high with plush silk pillows of all shapes and sizes. Lounging on them in languid luxury were at least half a dozen rather lush looking women. Their loose, silky clothes and the half-veils that covered the lower part of their faces completed the impression of a pleasure bower.  
  
All the reclining houris looked up at their entrance, the dull lassitude of boredom lifting instantly from gem-like eyes, replaced by quickening interest. Six pairs of ochre-lined eyes took in the two hunters hungrily, the semi-transparent gauzy veils revealing the flash of teeth as seductive smiles adorned painted lips.  
  
The closest few drifted upright and glided toward them. Every motion, from the sway of well-shaped hips to the graceful movements of delicately formed hands, formed an enticing vision perfectly orchestrated to mesmerize any male. Heavy perfume hung in the air around them, clogging the nose and denying access to any other smell.  
  
It was like a dream . . . one that a man could fall into so very easily, and never wish to emerge; a truly insidious trap that none had yet to escape from. The lovely snares moved boldly forward, confident that the prey was already theirs.  
  
**  
  
Alucard felt a fleeting moment of frozen horror when he first saw them. Sickening memories of a dark, blood drenched childhood rose up to hang like a day old corpse in his mind's eye, nearly causing him to panic.  
  
Their sensual assault did not the intended effect on him. He felt nothing for these creatures save disgust and loathing. The sight of them alone physically sickened him. He had always despised the soul draining succubi that had hung around his father's court like flies on a carcass. Long used to enduring their unwanted attentions, he had become automatically resistant to this particular brand of evil. Their questionable charms did not ensnare him now.  
  
However, the strong association with his shadowed past caused him to hesitate for an instant in the doorway.  
  
*  
  
D felt his companion's uncertainty and indecisiveness, but sensed it was not directly caused by the sex demons before them. He shifted one shoulder slightly, briefly brushing it against that of the other; the battle equivalent of a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
  
D felt Alucard start slightly, then slowly relax. Throughout the silent communication neither had taken their eyes off the incoming threat. Sensing that the instant of vulnerability was past, and confident now that they were both ready, they waited for the enemy to make the first move.  
  
**  
  
The now in sync warriors eyed the approaching enemy. The expressions of both were carefully blank, a tactic so reflexive that it could only be an automatic defense built up in the face of an all-too-familiar situation.  
  
They looked startlingly alike in that moment, despite the obvious height and color variations between them. Two sets of disparate eyes were dark and hooded as they surveyed the lust demons as though the dangerous creatures were supplicants in a royal court that had just done something rather gauche.  
  
The first of them reached the two noble-born dhamphir, laying a be-ringed hand proprietarily on one of D's well-muscled forearms.  
  
The touch set off a reaction not unlike that of an explosion as the two hunters surged forward, sliding out their weapons and carving through the disguised demons like mad reapers cutting a particularly grisly harvest. Loud shrieks of outrage and pain filled the air as the things were methodically cut down.  
  
In a relatively short time the two hunters had reached the far wall and the next exit. Behind them they left a scattered field of ichor-stained bodies. The illusion of beautiful women had vanished, revealing the truth in the twisted remains of the creatures. Impossibly long teeth and blood red eyes were now dulling in the glaze of death. Venom-tipped claws twitched uselessly in their final moments, unable to reach their slayers.  
  
**  
  
Alucard took a steadying breath, nearly choking on the perfume that still hung in the air. The smell of the things' black blood wasn't much better. The stench repulsed both sides of his nature. The part belonging to his mother's people inwardly drew back from such horrible creatures, while the darker, more primal vampire in him that yearned for pure, red blood snarled in disgust at the smell of fine cuisine gone to rot.  
  
He was in full control of himself once more, thanks to D. That brief touch had reminded him that he was no longer trapped in the nightmare of his past, and there was one who stood beside him in his battles. He had faced a major trial, and come out more confident and stronger than before.  
  
Head lifted proudly, he walked away from that oppressive room and on to the next challenge. He had slid from the grasp of the dark claws of his past yet again. This dismal place could bring what it wanted against him. He would stand firm.  
  
Almost smiling, he paced after his partner.  
  
**  
  
They moved through a few more decorated rooms. Each had their own displays of finery, but seemed to vary with the tastes of their -previous- owners. Finally they reached a chamber that had no adornment whatsoever. The gray stone of the walls was all the more striking in its plainness after all the gaudiness that had assaulted their vision. There wasn't even a small rug to cover the cold, dusty floor. It also had no apparent way out, aside from where they'd come. The lighting was dim even to their sight, and D brought out his blue amulet to shed a brighter glow into the shadowed corners.  
  
A few minutes of running gloved hands along the walls revealed a hidden door. With a gentle push, a particular stone protrusion ground open to reveal yet another dusty room. The only difference here was a small chest that looked as though it had been shoved off into a corner. Inside, Alucard discovered a square yellow block of what felt like wax. Curious, he brought it near his nose to smell for any other clues to its nature.  
  
A wave of dizziness swept over him, his hands suddenly trembling as though the block had tripled in weight. Hastily, he jerked it away from his face, turning his head and breathing in great lungfuls of the stale air. He felt D come over and bend forward to examine his mysterious find.  
  
*  
  
One look was all D needed. He had neither wish nor any desire to get closer. "Put that away." He ordered, almost sharply. His right hand came up to cover his nose. Alucard tossed him a quizzical look but was already doing as he was told, wrapping the substance in a silk cloth he pulled from one of his seemingly bottomless magical pouches. The younger dhamphir knew better than to hesitate. Anything could be a possible threat.  
  
When it was covered up D allowed himself to breathe freely again. "It's the wax for an Incense of Time Trap candle. The light and smell will paralyze anyone with vampire blood."  
  
Alucard nodded in startled understanding. He stowed it away in his cloak. Dangerous to them it might be, but such things always seemed to prove useful later on.  
  
They searched, but couldn't find another passage out of the room. After retracing their steps, and a more thorough search, D found yet another exit in the previous chamber. The small room with the chest had apparently just been for storage, for when the new door ground open the sound of air moving through a large space was easily discernable. Not two paces in the polished stone walls and floor ended abruptly, replaced by a rough floor and uncertain footholds.  
  
D brought his amulet up, which only piercing the darkness just a few feet in front of them. However, the light was enough to confirm the truth of the large cavern they had sensed before them, most of its vastness concealed by a darkness so complete that the eye tended to slide away from it in an effort to not be absorbed into it. Stalactites hung from the ceiling in abundance, hanging there like an inverted stone forest. Rising from the ground were their corresponding stalagmite partners, some so large that they blocked most of the view.  
  
Shadows that didn't appear to have any physical source flitted in innumerable stone crevices. Exchanging a speaking look, the two companions stepped cautiously forward into the unknown.  
  
*  
  
They traveled carefully, weaving through the maze of stone, sometimes having to backtrack to find a usable path. Both had an excellent sense of direction, and could tread on footing where a human could not have found even a finger hold. But still the going was slow and arduous. The place seemed designed to make it all but impossible to get through on foot.  
  
The further they went in, the more the shadows seemed to loom closer. Occasionally, a lesser demon was sighted flitting around the distant ceiling spikes. They would chitter and shriek at them, sometimes attacking with wicked little claws, but were easily dealt with.  
  
They also encountered some sort of entity that seemed to be made out of shadows and darkness. One got in a lucky strike that barely grazed Alucard's arm. The scratch was minimal, but the contact instantly caused a feeling of bone-chilling cold that temporarily numbed the entire limb. After the creature was taken care of, he was careful to rub the circulation back into it, shivering slightly at the memory. They met few more of them after that, but were careful to keep them at swords length and dispatched them quickly. For all their insubstantial appearance, they were cut down as easily as any flesh and blood being.  
  
The cavern seemed to go on for miles. Time was once again lost to them as they journeyed surrounded by absolute darkness, only the light they carried with them showing the way. Unfortunately, it was also was rather dangerous, for they could be tracked by the glow from a long ways away.  
  
Eventually the going got so confusing that Alucard took to the air in his bat form, using echolocation to try and discover the best route. After several more hours D spotted a faint light ahead, calling back his transformed partner from his scouting. The two once again humanoid dhamphir continued until at last they rounded a particularly large stalagmite, which was twice D's height in thickness and thrust upward toward the ceiling until it connected with a corresponding stalactite, forming a vast pillar.  
  
They discovered the light source to be coming from a luminescent moss that covered every surface as far as the eye can see ahead of them, like a thick green floor to ceiling carpet . The smell of moisture and the faint sound of water dripping explained the source of the plants' nourishment in the otherwise lightless place.  
  
The stone spikes ended just a few steps into the glowing carpet, replaced by the rippling design of water polished stone discernable under the moss.  
  
**  
  
They traveled through the cushiony passage, the dim illumination given off by the plants providing more than adequate light for their sharp eyes. The way narrowed gradually until they had to walk single file. D was in front, ducking slightly as the ceiling angled down to meet the shrinking tunnel, when he stopped without warning. His partner nearly ran into his broad back, his fine-tuned reflexes saving him from that embarrassment at the last moment. Peering around one tall shoulder, Alucard saw that they had come to an abrupt drop-off. Beyond, the area expanded instantly into a cavern quite a bit smaller than the last they had traveled. There were fewer water created spikes to bar their way, and the ceiling was low enough that they could have touched it at their currently elevated position had they chosen to.  
  
The hard floor was several yards below. D carefully jumped down, his cape billowing out to slow his fall. He'd seen at a glance that the sheerness of the opening made it impossible for even his skilled fingers to find a hold to climb down. He landed in a crouch, barely causing a breath of sound, and was already out of the way when Alucard landed in the space he had occupied just a moment before. Cautiously, they moved forward. The open space made it easier to travel, but the peril of being so exposed out in the open more than countered that slight luxury. The stone spikes here were mostly small, only a few scattered remnants of the moss cavern adorning a few of them. The result was more shadows that drew tricked and drew the eye away from possible real threats.  
  
As they hiked forward their wariness only increased. Many of the larger stalagmites and their opposites were in piles of rubble, some looking as though they had been sheered off at the base with a laser. Something had to have done that to them, and whatever it was was probably still around. The tunnel narrowed, and the upward jutting spikes ended almost entirely, only a few clinging to the sides of the passageway. The stalactites were still in evidence, but were relatively small compared to those they'd seen previously.  
  
Then they both froze, listening intently. Pale blue and bright golden eyes exchanged glances, and both turned to peer intently ahead. They had heard something; the unmistakable sound of metal on metal and scraping against stone. Their eyes could detect no heat in front of them, but that didn't reassure them. Many threats were cold-blooded, in more ways than one.  
  
Then the ground began to vibrate under the soles of their boots. Alucard reached out his left hand, feeling a small stalagmite quiver under his palm through his glove. It was a steady rhythm; one minor quake after another, and it was getting closer.  
  
D didn't bother to reach for his amulet for further illumination. There was no time. Both dhamphir dove to the sides as a jagged sword twice the size of an ox cart came crashing down between them.  
  
------------------------------- 


	9. Chapter 9

Something in Common  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Chapter 9  
  
----------------------------  
  
The light cast by the last of the phosphorescent green moss afforded the two hunters brief glimpses of their new adversary's shape. Metal that might have been the color of old copper in normal light glinted above them as the unknown creature moved. There was no sense of a life force other than their own anywhere nearby, but the sharp smell of metal hung in the air, almost choking them its taste of rust and oil. Moving back a few cautious feet, D got the chance to reactivate his amulet, throwing a blue glow on the scene that only added to the surreal vision, and revealing their opponent in alarming detail.  
  
Before them loomed a behemoth of plated metal, its bulk taking most of the free space in the cavern, its pointed helmet head nearly brushing the stone ceiling. It was covered in spikes from its' metal boots to head, the protrusions ranging from small nasty looking needle-thin ones to the two large ones, the size of most of the bigger stalactites they had seen, jutting from each shoulder. In both gauntleted fists was a weapon, the right holding a sword as jagged as a saw blade, and the other a double- bladed ax. Each was large enough to take out a regiment with one swing.  
  
All this was taken in with one sweeping glance, the rest of their attention being occupied by dodging the thing's surprisingly fast swings. The floors and walls were soon pocked with large dents and gashes where the monster had swung at them and -thankfully- missed.  
  
The metal giant took up the area in the center of the cavern. Whatever was beyond it was still unknown. Unfortunately, it showed no indication of moving out of the way, its huge feet firmly planted. It looked about as immovable as a mountain. It had not paused in its swordwork, its seemingly tireless swings making it impossible to get close to it in the space available. Even backing off made no difference. It seemed to be programmed to go on until the threat was either eliminated or gone. Preferably both.  
  
Then it unexpectedly paused, moving its arms apart to expose its chest area. D took the opening instantly, darting forward and weaving or just jumping over any obstruction. Alucard was about to follow when a grating sound from above alerted him, and he looked up in time to see the constructs breastplate divide down the middle, revealing several compartments lined with a variety of razor-edged missiles. There was no time for standing there in surprise. Battle instincts taking over, he immediately dove to the side, ignoring the bite of sharp stone and rolling for all he was worth as a veritable shower of shuriken, each easily as large as his head, rained down on where he had been. Where D had been headed.  
  
The white-blonde dhampir made it to the cover of one of the last standing large stalagmites, flattening himself to the ground as a half a dozen blades burrowed into it, some missing him by inches as they sheared cleanly most of the stone spike like it was made of paper. When the hair-raising sounds of metal scraping on stone ended, he risked a look up, his sharp eyes scanning the area for his partner. He couldn't help but feel worry stir in his gut. D had been in the direct path of the majority of the fullisade. Fearing the worst, Alucard focused on the area where he had last seen the older hunter.  
  
What he saw caused him to let out a breath in relief, not realizing until then that he had been holding it. The spot where D /had/ been looked like a collection pile for shrapnel, the stone deeply gouged by impacts. Beyond it stood their opponent, still firmly entrenched in place. It was swinging again, but not at him.  
  
Long weapons are great for keeping your opponents at a distance, but are relatively useless if they're already in close. For perched on one large shoulder, easily keeping his balance as his dangerous perch repeatedly tried to shake him off, was D. The tall hunter was quickly and methodically searching the enormous joints for points of weakness with his sword, using the shoulder spike as both a shield and a brace against the metal golem's counterattacks. Somehow he had managed to clear the missile attack before it had landed, heading for the safest place to be from a long- range attack, in close. The spikes had been no trouble, his dexterous hands and nimble feet using the larger protrusions as leverage to quickly scale up, while avoiding the more dangerous miniature ones.  
  
The golden giant made its first vocal noise, rumbling its displeasure at the insect that had dared attached himself to it. The sound echoed through the stone corridor, hurting sensitive ears.  
  
Alucard winced but ignored the discomfort, instead focusing on how he could help. He wished now that he'd thought to bring a crossbow, or one of those rather large looking guns he had examined with some curiosity in the weapons shop where he had selected his new sword. Not for the first time he wished he had the familiar weight of his family blade in his hands. That sword could have sheared through the two weapons blocking his way, reducing their opponent's long-range advantage drastically. Inwardly he cursed the creature that had taken it from him and denied him his freedom for ten millennia. His being trapped by such a pitiful toady still stung his pride even now as he thought back on it.  
  
****  
  
He had never actually met the vampire before, only overhearing scraps of conversation about him in the halls. He never even got a name. All Alucard knew was that he had been one of the more minor nobles in his father's court, and considered quite slovenly and homely even by human standards. Vampires used much less complimentary terms to describe him. The man hadn't even been viewed as all that bright by some of the higher- class slaves. His father, whom he knew could not abide stupidity, must have held him in the utmost contempt. The only reason the creature had survived as long as he had was because he had just enough sense to stay out of the more powerful nobles' way, and a surprising aptitude at traps and warding spells.  
  
He had come to Alucard while the dhampir was in sleep trance, somehow tracing him to his hiding place. Before the young noble could fully awaken at the sense of an intruder, the Amulet of Holding had been around his neck and he had opened his eyes to the unpleasant sight of a sharp-toothed grin adorning the face of the ugliest vampire he had ever seen. His breath alone was enough to drop bats from their perches. Alucard tried to speak, to move, only to discover that he couldn't so much as twitch his fingers and articulate a word.  
  
His apparent captor only grinned wider, and Alucard's nose wrinkled. (That and blinking was about all he seemed to be able to manage, other than breathing). Vampires really didn't need to bathe, but then again they usually didn't have quite the affinity with mud and farm animals that this one apparently possessed. He could just picture him feeding off a group of pigs and his noble-bred sensibilities cringed back.  
  
"Can't move?" His apparent captor teased, his rough accent only confirming just how low down the status ladder this vampire was. Disgust warred with contempt and outrage in Alucard for the place of dominant emotion. Who was this . . . INSECT and how /dare/ he presume to even try this with him, the son of Dracula?! Unable to articulate what he was thinking, Alucard let his eyes speak for him, glaring coldly up at the maggot hovering beside him.  
  
The thing blinked at the intensity of his gaze, shrinking back in an automatic response at the wrath of someone so obviously high above him in both class and power. Then he seemed to remember just who was in control there, and his smug smirk returned in full force as he leered at his captive audience, leaning closer.  
  
Inwardly bracing himself against both the stench and whatever attack might be coming, all Alucard could do was look on. He had been trying to fight whatever spell held him with his own magic, but couldn't seem to grasp a hold of anything to attack.  
  
The fanged goblin snickered, reaching out to lift something from the dhampir's chest that had most definitely not been there when he had gone to sleep. An amulet with an opaque black stone set in the middle, lined by a gold casing carved with intricate runes winked in the wavery light afforded by a torch set in a sconce the wall by his newly acquired tormentor. One glance at the amulet was enough for Alucard to know that he was in serious trouble. He could easily sense the sheer power of the necklace, now that he knew where to look. He wasn't going anywhere or doing anything on his own so long as he had it around his neck. He was effectively trapped in his own body. His father's dungeons couldn't have held him more securely. It was a masterpiece of magic, and there was no way that the creature currently gloating over him could have made it. He had probably come upon it by accident, or stolen it. Alucard favored the latter, enjoying the brief image of what would happen to the low-grade vampire once its true owner discovered that it was missing. All this flashed through his mind in the matter of a moment, his expression unchanged.  
  
His captor was still looking at him, eagerly seeking some response, some hint of the despair he must be feeling at his seemingly hopeless situation. The pale half-breed flicked his golden eyes at the amulet, and back to him, revealing no emotion other than utter boredom. He had long ago learned to hide his true feelings, and he'd die before giving this worm any satisfaction.  
  
Finally grunting in disappointment, the vampire backed off a little, dropping the amulet back to his captive's chest. Scowling slightly, he was evidently trying to think. Alucard, in a brief moment of humor, wondered if he might hurt himself in the process and save him the trouble.  
  
The vampire's frown deepened, almost pouting. It made him look even more like a troll than before. "You're no fun." He, well, whined. He tried to narrow his eyes menacingly, succeeding only in making it look like he had a squint. "I was gonna try to use you to get ahead in the court, by presenting your haughty little head on a pike to your dear daddy." The grin returned. "But now I've got a better idea. I'll just keep you here until I need you for something. Maybe a few centuries as a paperweight will change your attitude toward me a bit. It's a good idea to have a backup plan, and it looks like you're it." He paused, studying his new prize possessively. Alucard wanted to rip the look off the creature's face, his rage nearly making his blood boil. The other continued on, oblivious. "But, I still like the idea of the fame I'd get at taking your traitorous hide back." He looked around the edge of the coffin, his beady red eyes alighting on the sword sheathed and ready, but unfortunately useless in his current situation, at Alucard's side.  
  
The vampire grinned, and pulled it out of the coffin, running his claws lovingly over it. Alucard's vision turned red around the edges. Inwardly he was clawing and screaming to get out, to move. Had he been able he would have ripped apart this interloper who dared to touch his family sword, before exposing the remains to the sun at noon.  
  
His target chuckled. "Such a pretty weapon. I'm sure this will do. If I show it to his majesty, that will be almost as good as bringing the actual corpse to him." His grin melted into a slight frown. "But his magic could find you if you're still alive." He pondered this new complication for a moment. "Unless, of course, I make it impossible for you to be found that way." He grinned. He seemed to have a limited range of expressions to draw on. Tucking the sword into his belt, he rubbed his hands together eagerly. He looked like a kid presented with a bucket of candy. "There are a few tricks that I've been wanting to try for some time. What a nice little opportunity this has given me." He gleefully rummaged around Alucard again, coming up with the pouch holding his Familiar Cards. Grinning happily at his find, he giggled. "These should prove useful." His find distracted him from any further searching, leaving the rest of the young dhampir's belongings in peace.  
  
Reaching up, the creature grasped the lid of the coffin, and winked at his captive. "I'll be back for you sometime. Now don't you go anywhere." Snickering at his own bad joke, he lowered the lid, sealing off the light.  
  
****  
  
The last thing Alucard had seen besides darkness was that horrible smile. There were some sounds for a while, then nothing. For a very long time, there was absolutely nothing. Not so much as the skittering of an insect along the floor broke the endless silence. Finally, in order to preserve his sanity, he had reentered trance, awakening only when he became aware of another's presence once again. This time, however, it was to a face that he had welcomed. True, he had been willing to see just about anyone at that point, but a part of him had been both relieved and pleased at sight of a face he seemed to know on an instinctive level, yet could no seem to place. All had known was that, against all rational wariness, he trusted this person. This man who stood, as he, between two conflicting lineages.  
  
That trust had only built through time and familiarity, turning into loyalty. Those were the emotions that propelled him forward now, to help that person who had brought him out from the darkness, and into a new world. A world where he just might have a place, where he was needed.  
  
**  
  
Alucard dodged and wove through the rain of blows directed his way as the construct perceived him approach and moved its' ax hand to intercept him. However without its other arm to back it up, the move left gaps wide enough for an agile dhampir to get through.  
  
Reaching the feet, Alucard drove his sword tip into the joint between in the ankle, seeking to cause as much damage as possible before he had to dodge out of the way of the ax and stomping feet. He persisted, weaving around the metal boots and acting as a distraction from below while D's strikes did the same for above. It was apparent that this double attack was hard for whatever the creature used as a brain to process and effectively counter. They weren't making any discernable progress yet, but they were still keeping the thing off balance enough that it wasn't either.  
  
**  
  
From the unseen room cloaked in darkness, malevolently glowing eyes watched them in their newest struggle. A faint upward curl of thin lips revealed that it was deriving some slight amusement from the scene. The gaze then shifted and focused entirely on the pale-haired figure darting around on the ground like a particularly bothersome bee.  
  
In the comfortable darkness of his chamber the vampire smiled. The glint of long teeth flashed in the dim light afforded by his scrying as he uttered one word of command.  
  
"NOW."  
  
The two hunters' complete concentration was focused on their fight with the construct. Neither saw the shadows amassing in the ceiling and corners.  
  
**  
  
Alucard was standing on one enormous golem foot when the leg it was attached to suddenly bent at the knee, swinging back, and then kicked forward. The unexpected swiftness of the move caught the pale hunter off guard, the smooth metal offering no handholds, and he was flung several yards back down the tunnel.  
  
Rolling to disperse the force of the impact, he came up with sword ready in a crouch. From his new position D and their opponent were discerned as mostly flashes of sound and movement. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. The light seemed dimmer than before. Shaking his head, he moved forward quickly to reengage, dodging around or over any debris in his path. Rounding a particularly large pile of rock and metal, his goal was within plain sight.  
  
Above and behind him the swirling blackness coalesced and came alive, arching back like a single entity before it sprang with incredible speed at its target.  
  
Alucard, focused on his goal and senses slightly dulled by the all encompassing evil all around him didn't register the threat until he was engulfed by darkness.  
  
The cold hit him like a blow, his limbs immediately freezing as the chill seeped beyond them, seeming to reach into his very soul with its freezing feelers. He hadn't thought to cry out. Looking to others for help was still too new. By the time it even occurred to him, it was far too late.  
  
*  
  
D had found a promising avenue of attack in the connection between shoulder and helmet. The thing had no neck to speak of, so he had a limited area he could cut through. There was no guarantee that it would stop even if he managed to remove its head. Such things often had to be hacked to pieces before they were truly down. Even then, it was best to scatter the remains.  
  
Intent as he was on his strategy, he couldn't push away a niggling feeling that was trying to get his attention. It deepened into the sense that something was very wrong. Lips pressing together in annoyance, he looked up from his task, casually dodging yet another swing at him. He was just in time to see one frozen arm before what appeared to be a wave of utter darkness engulfed his partner entirely.  
  
"ALUCARD!" He called out, abandoning his perch without thought. He hit the ground running, intent on the mass of shadows at it began to lift into the air. He charged forward, slicing through the few shadows that swooped down to block him. He sprang into the air, his strength carrying him quickly toward his goal.  
  
He was only a matter of feet away when a small swarm of the things rose up from seemingly nowhere and knocked him back. His last glimpse of his trapped partner was the sight of the shadows melting into the darkness as he fell toward the stone floor.  
  
--------------------------  
  
I know. I'm mean. Sorry it took so long. I have been on the mountaintop of Enthusiasm, only to be buried under an avalanche of Procrastination and ending up it the Valley of Apathy. I'm trying! But I feel like I'm struggling against neck-deep mud sometimes. Thank you for your patience. The next chapter is already in rough draft form, so remind me I have little excuse to delay! Threats and compliments help the most! 


	10. Chapter 10

Something in Common

by The Unseen Watcher

Chapter 10

This seems more of a clip than anything. I think I'll add a bit more to it later. shrugs

------------------

(Previously)

Alucard slammed into the cavern wall with enough force to snap a human's spine. Light exploded in front of his eyes, and his wounded side was a blaze of agony that ripped at control as he slid bonelessly to the floor.

He got to his feet unsteadily. Now was not the time to be lying down. He blinked, struggling to clear his vision. D needed his help. He could hear the fight in front of him and a bit off to the side, but he was useless if he couldn't see it. Slowly, his vision started to clear.

The light in the cavern abruptly winked out as a black form loomed right in front of him. He tried to raise his sword in time, but his reactions were slowed with prolonged fighting and his injuries. The shadow demon enveloped him in its chilly embrace, and his mind darkened as the world whirled away.

D dodged another saw blade, rebounding off a huge stalagmite and slicing at the construct's arm joint. The thing showed no sign of slowing, and by this time D was panting from his exertions. He had heard Alucard hit the wall, but hadn't been able to hear if he'd gotten up over the din of their opponent's metal plates scraping together. Rolling behind the stomping feet, he took a moment to glance his partner's way.

D's eyes widened as he saw the minor demon wrap around the pale dhamphir. The main fight was pushed down a rung of importance in his mind, and he sped toward his imperiled teammate.

From seemingly nowhere, a new swarm of the shadow creatures appeared, flapping and swirling in front of him. He impatiently started to cut through them, intent on his goal. However, he hadn't survived this long without at least a part of his mind being aware of All opponents. A sudden sense of danger, along with Lefthand's warning screech, had him rolling hastily to the side just before an enormous gauntleted fist smashed into the floor where he'd just been standing.

Rolling to a halt, he cleared his cloak from his sword arm and took in the scene before him. He was surrounded on one side by the shadow demons, and on the other by the construct. A quick glance showed that the wall space that had previously contained Alucard and his captor was empty. Neither of the two were anywhere to be seen.

Cursing silently, truly angry for the first time in years, D turned toward the animated armor. His eyes glittered under the rim of his hat. He had been delayed, blocked from helping one he considered a true ally, even a comrade, and it was these things fault!

The corner of his mouth curled up in a snarl, and he charged forward before the Armor could. The faster he got this fight out of the way, the sooner he would find Alucard.

(Now)

Consciousness gradually returned to Alucard, bringing with it a splitting headache to add to his slightly older discomforts. He also seemed to be unable to move his arms and legs.

His eyes shot open, and he winced as even the slight light of the single candle in the dim room made his head throb. Experimentally flexing his limbs and found that he could feel them, but they were held firmly in place by something. Carefully, he took stock of his situation.

He found that he was shackled against a long board of wood that was in turn part of a wall. He was held in place like a pinned insect, unable to do more than move his head and torso. His feet hovered only a few inches above the floor. The candle near his head made it hard to use his night vision on the room beyond him, blinding his sensitive eyes when he tried.

Then there was the sound of cloth shifting over cloth in the darkness. A voice broke the stillness, the timbre like liquid velvet might sound if it could. A slight purr underscored each word.

"Now here is an interesting puzzle." It mused, the speaker obviously male by his speech. Alucard could feel unseen eyes studying him, and he pushed aside the urge to shiver against the crawling sensation it created along his skin. His unsolicited host continued "I have neither seen, nor heard of you. Your dark-haired companion is . . . well known in certain circles, but you yourself are a mystery."

The figure, unmistakably the quarry they sought, stepped into the meager light, though still out of normal reach. He looked like the typical self-important vampire; dressed in an aristocratic fashion, his black suit smooth and no doubt made of the finest silk. Armored cape of the same material, inlaid with red like Alucard's own, swept down from his shoulders. He appeared to have stepped temporarily away from a formal ball. Lean, hungry features were framed by pale white hair. A green gemstone earring with a matching ring on one long, clawed finger seemed to be the only concession to individual taste. Red, glowing eyes formed the centerpiece. The force of will and power behind them would draw the eyes of all he met.

He looked like he was freshly dead, and with good reason. The vampire, or rather the 'Noble' as D would call him, reached up and took Alucard's chin between thumb and forefinger, turning his head back and forth like he was a doll. "Pretty thing, aren't you?" The Noble chucked, his eyes glittering mockingly.

Alucard said nothing, giving the creature neither the satisfaction of responding to the taunt or jerking away. He met those bloody eyes with his own a flat, indifferent gold, as if waking up in such an awkward position was normal. He took special care to focus not to focus his gaze on anything in particular.

He wanted to avoid a battle of wills if possible. He could almost smell the noble's age, this near to him. If he fought mentally, he might well lose against this one. He simply kept his dignity, and didn't reply. The vampire didn't seem to expect him to.

Eventually, his cold fingers left his chin, one finger tracing a welt on his cheek that he had gotten in one of the fights. The talon-like fingernail easily pierced the skin, reopening the healing cut. Alucard didn't even flinch, his jaw set. Bringing the bloodied digit near his sharp nose, he sniffed delicately, as if at a fine wine. Languidly, he licked the red substance off with his tongue. One well-shaped eyebrow rose. "Strong blood, and a will to match it." he commented, chuckling in amusement at Alucard's continued closed expression. The Noble picked up the candle, and glided calmly away.

The feeble light now revealed the rest of the room. He was in what appeared to be a study of some sort. Bookshelves and tapestries lined the walls. In the cozy center of it all was an armchair, with a small table to the side of it. A small space, clearly for viewing, was the most clutter free part of the room. Almost everything was done up in a rather tasteless, in Alucard's point of view, shade of red.

His captor dropped indolently into the well-cushioned chair. Waving one hand idly, a fog formed up in front of him, then parted to reveal a picture of a scene not of the room. Alucard was at an angle that enabled him to just barely glimpse what was going on in that scene. He craned his head to get a better look, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The picture solidified, showing flitting shadows, then sharpened into a view of D in a desperate fight with their current opponent. Alucard felt a stab if concern, mingled with frustration as all he could do was watch. It was obvious that tall hunter was not having an easy time of it. The construct had started throwing huge stalagtites as well as its saws, followed quickly by its' fists and weapons.

The vampire just sat there, one finger idly caressing his pale lips, a spark of interest lighting his dark eyes. "This is more entertainment than I've had in the last millennia." He mused, glancing briefly in Alucard's direction. He did not hide his amusement at the young dhamphir's current position. On sight of his partner, the smaller man had unconsciously leaned closer, his head and torso stretched out as far as his bonds allowed. It was not the most dignified of positions.

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It might interest some of you to know that I have made a resolution this summer to actually Write something. pauses for gasps of shock and looks of disbelief shrugs Those of you that have had the incredible patience to actually still care about this story... Thank you.


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